Love within Dreams
by nick2951
Summary: Through the dream was what brought them together, but was the dream natural and can the love between them survive? Fic is NOT DEAD!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or any other Anime and never will. If I did, Shinji would have woken up next to Rei on that Beach and had a happily ever after.

Author's Note: Well here it is, my first fanfic. I have several more in the works but this one is being written on a whim. I'll probably continue it depending on the number of reviews I get, so enjoy.

The morning sun traveled through the windows in the messy apartment, waking Rei Ayanami from her much enjoyable sleep. Bringing her naked form from the bed, she walked to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. As the hot water washed her clean, she smiled to herself on the memory of her dream.

It was in the dreams that they could be together. Rei could only be with him that way and take the loneliness away from him in his prison.

Turning the water off, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry herself off. Throwing the towel to the ground, she walked over to the dresser and pulled out her undergarments and school clothes and began to dress. When she finished, she walked to the kitchen and began to fix herself a peanut and jelly sandwich. In the dreams, he had recommended it as a suitable breakfast. When she had finished eating, she left the apartment and headed towards NERV for the sync test.

As she walked down the street, a blue car skidded to a halt beside her.

"Hey Rei! Need a Ride?" asked Misato ignoring an angry Asuka behind her.

In the dreams, He told her that the Misato was a crazy driver but that she should take her up on her offer as a ride so Rei wouldn't tire herself out.

"Yes Major Katsuragi, Thank you" said Rei as she opened the passenger side door and slipped into the seat. Turning around, she looked at the Second Child and said "Good Morning Pilot Soyru."

"Guten Morgen, Wondergirl" replied Asuka grumpily and stared out the window as Misato slammed on the gas.

Misato turned to Rei and said "Just ignore her Rei, she's mad because I cooked this morning." Looking into the rearview mirror, she smirked at Asuka.

Asuka glared back at her and stated "Your cooking is going to kill me one of these days; hopefully that stupid Baka will wake up soon and return to his role in the kitchen."

Rei turned her head and caught the pained expression on Misato's face at the mention of Shinji's name by the redhead. Shinji was still a sore subject to be talked about around the NERV Staff, especially Misato and Asuka. Both had their reasons for missing Shinji but Misato's seemed more caring than Asuka's.

As the car entered NERV and came to a stop, Rei turned and thanked Misato for the ride. Together, with Asuka ahead of her, Rei headed towards the changing room to dress into her plug suit for the sync test.

Rei hoped that the test wouldn't take too long, for she wished to return home and go back to Him in her dream.

A/N: Well what do you think, hopefully not too bad of a start. This chapter was not pre-read but all future chaps will be.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still don't own it, but hey, we can't all get what we want.

Author's Note: Well here is the second chapter, enjoy.

"All right guys, we're done for the day" called Ritsuko through the comm. Looking down, she began to study the results of the sync test.

"How did they do?" asked Misato sipping her coffee.

"Well Asuka is up two points. Touji is up three. However, the biggest surprise is Rei's results, she is up seven points. If she keeps this up, she will pass up Asuka in about two weeks." Ritsuko answered. She began to type on the keyboard and processed the data.

"Wow. Go Rei" said Misato, taking another sip. Walking towards the exit, she suddenly stopped and asked "Have you noticed a change in her behavior lately?"

"No, why?" asked Ritsuko

Turning to face Ritsuko, Misato replied "She seems different. It is hard to notice, unless you catch her at the right moment, but when she thinks no one is looking, she smiles and has this dreamy look on her face."

"Well, that is definitely something. I'll have to pay more attention from now on. It's strange, but one would think that with the Third Child out of commission, she would be reclusive and colder." Ritsuko instantly bit her tongue as the look on Misato's face changed to sadness.

Realizing that it was too late to take back what she said, Ritsuko asked "Are you going to visit him today?"

"Yeah, I am heading there now before I meet Kaji at the Bar" Misato once again turned towards the door and started to walk out it when she stopped and asked "Have you found anything yet?"

Ritsuko let out a deep sigh and responded "No, still nothing. The Commander also asked the same thing this morning." Leaning back in her chair, Ritsuko remembered the glare he gave her. The dummy plug still didn't work and Unit 01 would not start up for anyone, making it useless for battle against the Angels. It was a good thing that there hasn't been an Angel attack for the past three months. Well, she thought it was good, but the Commander and SEELE seemed to disagree. Ritsuko looked at Misato and said "Don't worry; the solution can't evade us forever. We will get to the bottom of this"

Turning her head around, Misato said "I hope so" and then walked out the door.

…………………………………..

Entering the changing room, Rei walked straight to her locker and began to strip out of her plug suit. Asuka walked to her own locker and did the same, then grabbing a towel and headed to the showers. Rei however decided to skip the shower and started to dress hurriedly so she could go home.

Noticing this, Asuka asked "What the hell, Wondergirl. Aren't you at least showering before you dress." She stood there for several seconds waiting for an answer.

Rei replied "No, I have to get home." Fastening the skirt, Rei sat down on the bench and began to put on her shoes.

"What's the hurry, hot date?" asked Asuka sarcastically.

A little bit of a blush appeared on Rei's face as she started tying her shoes. Asuka saw this and walked up to Rei and sat down next to her.

"It is isn't it? Wow wondergirl, I didn't think you had it in you. So who is it? Is it anyone I know?" Asuka sat their waiting for an answer. When she didn't receive one, she began to get frustrated.

Rei, not wanting to divulge personal affairs, ignored the redhead and stood up, heading for the exit. However, Asuka, deciding that she needed an answer, moved to cut Rei off and blocked the exit.

"You're not going anywhere until I get an answer wondergirl" said Asuka, waiting for an answer.

Rei knew she was stuck. The redhead was directly in her path and would not budge. Telling her the truth was out of the question and physical force would take too long. She then remembered what He had told her on how to deal with the second child.

Taking His advice, Rei replied "You are correct Pilot Soyhru; it is a "Hot Date" as you say" Asuka wanting more, moved in closer, also unconsciously moving off to the side.

"Mr. Aida, one of the "stooges" as you put it, is waiting for me at my apartment for sex. Aida loves the smell of LCL as he humps me, therefore I do not bathe."

Asuka's was in shock. She tried to comprehend what she just heard. Taking advantage of this, Rei moved past the redhead and out the door. By the time Asuka recovered, Rei was already halfway home.

Author's Note: I know, another short chapter, but it felt that it needed to end right there. Let me assure you that this is NOT and Rei/Kensuke pairing. I DESPISE that pairing above all else. I put that in as both a way for Rei to escape and an attempt at humor. The next chapter will be more informative on what's going on. Like why Touji is there, the lack of Angel attacks, Shinji's condition, Rei's dream, ect. Also the Bastard King himself will make an appearance next chapter as well as a mysterious new villain. Please R&R.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Author's Note: Here is chapter 3. I hope it sheds more light on what's happening.

Sub-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki sat in the lounge chair reading a history book that had arrived in the mail a few days ago. In front of him sat a chess board with the pieces scattered about. Hearing the door open, Fuyutsuki turned from his book as Commander Gendo Ikari walked up and sat down opposite from Fuyutsuki and studied the board.

"I take it that the meeting didn't go well?" asked Fuyutsuki, noticing the glare on Gendo's face.

"The old men are growing impatient. No one knows why the Angels have stopped coming. By now, we should be at the 15th Angel, but we haven't even reached the 11th yet" Answered Gendo. He reached out and moved his rook across the board.

"Could it be that the Scrolls were misinterpreted on the timeframe of the attacks?" asked Fuyutsuki, moving his knight to protect his queen.

"The scrolls have been analyzed and are correct. What we have here is an unexplained deviance in the scenario." Gendo then used his rook to take Fuyutsuki's knight.

"What about the theft of Unit 03's S2 engine? Any leads on the culprits?" Fuyutsuki moved his queen to take Gendo's rook.

"No, whoever is responsible was very cleaver at covering their tracks. Even SEELE's best agents have turned up no leads." Gendo watched as Fuyutsuki used his queen to take the rook. Gendo immediately moved the bishop Fuyutsuki missed to take the queen.

"It is unfortunate that we have Unit 01 refusing any other pilot as well as a dummy plug system that according to Dr. Akagi, should be working." Staring at the board, Fuyutsuki considered his next move.

"Yes, it seems that the third child's condition has made things very difficult for the scenario."

Moving a pawn forward, Fuyutsuki asked "Still no explanation For Shinji's condition?"

"No. Akagi can't find any explanation for it." Gendo moved one of his own pawns forward.

"An interesting coincidence, is it not? Shinji falling into a coma and the Angels stopping their attacks. Do you think the two incidents are related?" Fuyutsuki moved another pawn.

"That has occurred to me as well. I have people looking into that as we speak. The scenario will resume." Moving his queen, Gendo took Fuyutsuki's bishop, trapping his king.

"Checkmate"

……………………………………

Misato walked down the long poorly-lit hall of NERV's hospital towards Shinji's room. As she approached the door, she heard the sound of a voice coming from the room. Opening the door, she was surprised to find Touji sitting on a chair next to the bed which housed Shinji's silent form.

"Hey Misato, what's up?" asked the teen standing from the chair facing her.

"Just came to visit Shinji. Was that you talking?" asked Misato, grabbing a chair and taking a position near Shinji.

Looking embarrassed, Touji responded "Yeah, it was me. Hikari was telling me how it helps to talk to people in a coma." He was dressed in his normal clothes with the exception of a gold heart locket which dangled from his chest.

"I've read that myself. I was going to tell him about today's sync results. By the way, how are you doing with Unit 03? Misato looked at the pilot, waiting for an answer.

Not taking his eyes off Shinji, Touji responded "It's all right. I am not Kenuske. I never wanted to be a pilot. However, when Dr. Akagi told me about Shinji and that NERV desperately needed me, I couldn't refuse. Dr. Akagi also told me that this would help my sister. That also sealed the deal." Touji leaned back on the chair, still staring at Shinji.

Looking from the teen to Shinji, Misato said "Good Job on your test today. You were doing well for someone who was rushed into this"

"Thanks. Though I have to find it funny, the most powerful weapon mankind has against the Angels and it needs an extension cord to power it." Touji then looks at Misato smiling.

The statement brings a smile to Misato as well, thinking how Ritsuko would probably be pissed if she heard that. "Yeah it is funny. However your Unit was originally suppose to be equipped with an S2 engine, but with the rush to have Unit 03 delivered, plans changed." There was more to it than that, but Misato could not say anything more about it. Unit 03's S2 engine theft was still classified.

Standing up, Touji turned towards the door and said "I have to go. I still have to visit Mari before I go home. Listen, I was wondering if it was alright I brought and left her with Shinji for a couple of hour's everyday? Both could use the company, and plus my sister has always wanted to meet him." Touji stood there, waiting for an answer.

Smiling, Misato replied "Sure, that's a great idea. I hate the idea of Shinji being alone all the time. Maybe she'll be here when Shinji finally wakes up."

"Thanks Misato. I'll bring her over tomorrow. Well I got to go, Bye" and with that said, Touji walked out the door.

Turning towards Shinji again, Misato started talking. "Hey kiddo, this is how my day went….."

……………………………………

The man sat in the dark room leaning back in his chair. On the desk next to him, the phone suddenly rang. He leaned forward and picked up the receiver and put it next to his ear.

"Hello"

The sound of someone talking on the other side could be lightly heard.

"Excellent. When is the freighter due to arrive?"

More talking.

"Good, I will be waiting for it"

A question was asked.

"No, all the agents SEELE and NERV assigned have been false leads. Both the rest of the old men and Ikari are looking in the wrong place for the culprits. They would never think of looking within."

Assured, then voice says goodbye.

"Yes, I'll see you when you arrive" Hanging up the phone, the man again leaned back.

"Soon, I will control them all"

A/N: well that sounds ominous, doesn't it? I didn't want to reveal too much info on what's going on, mysteries take time. The next chapter will delve into the dream world of Rei. Please R&R.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Rei opened the door of her apartment and stepped inside. Closing the door behind her, she proceeded to the bathroom and pulled out the bottle of sleeping pills from the medicine cabinet above the sink. Opening the top of the bottle, she took out two pills and placed the bottle back inside the cabinet. With the two pills in her hand, she walked from the bathroom to the kitchen and grabbed the empty beaker which sat on the counter next to the sink and filled it with water. Placing the two pills in her mouth, Rei washed them down and placed the now empty beaker back in its original spot.

Walking out of the kitchen, Rei headed towards her bed, discarding her clothing as she proceeded. By the time Rei reached her bed, she was naked and feeling quite drowsy. Falling onto the mattress and putting her head on the pillow, she pulled the sheets over her body and fell asleep.

Rei found herself in a poorly lit hallway in NERV headquarters. Walking down the hall, she scanned ahead looking for Him, being careful not to step on any of the clothing that were scattered everywhere in the corridors. Turning around a corner, she found what she was looking for. Down the hall, a teenage boy sat on the floor staring off into nothingness. He was dressed in black pants with a white shirt. Noticing that he hadn't yet sensed her presence, Rei smiled and whispered "Shinji."

Even though it was only a whisper, it echoed down the halls and roused Shinji from his state. Turning his head towards her, he yelled "Rei!" jumped up and ran to her immediately wrapping his arms around her. "I knew you were here. It always gets warmer here when you arrive." Letting go of her, he stepped back and smiled at her.

"I am sorry that I left you alone so long, but the sync tests took longer than expected" said Rei, frowning.

"Its okay, you can't be here all the time. I just wish it wouldn't get so cold when you leave." Shinji's smile faltered a bit at the thought, but then brightened when he said "I heard that you rose seven points on your test today, congratulations."

This startled Rei. She couldn't understand how he knew about today's results.

"I fallowed your advice" said Shinji, hoping to answer Rei's confusion. "Instead of wandering around aimlessly, I stayed in one place and concentrated really hard on the outside world. That's when I heard Misato talking. She was describing her day and mentioned today's sync results. When I heard your voice, I lost concentration and Misato's voice was gone."

"Misato does visit you just about everyday and she does speak to you during the visits. I am glad you were finally able hear her. Sorry if I interrupted." Said Rei looking down.

"It's okay, really. It was good to hear her voice, even for a little while. I am just glad that you are here. It also seems that you are fallowing my advice as well" said Shinji smiling.

"What do you mean?" ask Rei.

"Misato has been catching your little smiles. I am glad that you are starting to act the same way out there as in here" answered Shinji.

"I am trying not to act too much out of character. I don't want to arouse suspicion from Commander Ikari and Dr. Akagi. However, I am starting to feel more alive out there than before." Rei sat down on the floor and leaned back against the wall.

Sitting beside her, Shinji asked "Does Father visit me"

Rei sighed and answered "No, I don't think so. Sorry."

"It's okay. I didn't think he would." Shinji then moved his hand and placed it over Reis.

Rei, clasping her hand in his, then asked "Do you want to go outside again?"

"No, seeing those things on the Crosses is too disturbing. Let's just sit here and talk. You were going to tell me how Touji and Hikari's relationship is going. What have you seen? He hasn't done anything stupid yet, has he?"

Rei smiled and let the issue go. She also hated seeing those things on the crosses as well. She knew though that some of the answers of Shinji's condition lay out there somewhere or least why this place is in this present state. Deciding to take up this issue in the future, Rei began to describe what she has seen.

………………………………………..

Outside, two girls stood across the street observing the run-down apartment complex in which Rei lived in.

"Are you sure this is the place Hikari?" asked Asuka disgusted by what she saw.

"Yes Asuka, that's what the school records say. But, why didn't you ask Major Katsuragi on where Ayanami lives? Wouldn't it have been easier?"

"Yes, but it would've aroused suspicion from Misato. She knows I can't stand Wondergirl" answered Asuka. Seeing no one in sight, she begins to walk towards the apartment complex.

Hikari moves to catch up with her and asks "Is this really necessary? I mean, shouldn't we let her have her privacy?"

Asuka scoffs at this and answers "Hell No! I want to know what is up with that girl."

"Do you really think Kensuke is really in there?" asked Hikari.

"No, I think Wondergirl knew exactly how I'd act and took advantage of it to get away. That is really unlike her and definitely convinces me that something is up" approaching the door of Rei's apartment, Asuka then states "I am not leaving this place until I find out what the hell is going on."

Author's Note: 7 reviews, 1 complaint about my grammar, and 1260 hits. Not too bad for my first fic. Sorry if the chapter is again too short, there will be more interaction between Rei and Shinji in the next chapter. Now for my response to my reviewers.

Eww: No, I am not in elementary school. I guess my grammar check on my computer missed a few things. I am still new at this, so I hope you will bear with me. As for the Beta-Reader position, are you volunteering? If you are, e-mail me and let me know.

Andy: Thanks for the catch. I guess I missed that when I re-read the chapter. As for Asuka, I hope this will somewhat satisfy you. However, I should point out that this is a Rei/Shinji fic, though Asuka will play a major part in helping Rei and Shinji down the line.

Adam Kadmon: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter and am looking forward to your next chapter as well.

Chibi Fenrir: Thank you for the encouragement. I know the title is a bit corny, but I couldn't think of anything else at the time. I hope get better with the grammar and spelling as this fic progresses. I also hope to read the next chapter of "Lately" soon.

Animefan88: Thank you for reading despite what you think of the pairing. I hope you continue reviewing. I do plan on writing an S/A fic when this is done which will coincide with another R/S fic.

CrimsonGaze: Yes I will continue it. It will take time, but I will finish this fic, unless I am dead.

See you next chapter. Please R&R.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Not bothering to knock, Asuka opened the door to Rei's apartment and walked in. Looking around at her surroundings, Asuka's face turned to disgust at the condition of the apartment. "Wondergirl is a bigger slob than Misato" stated Asuka as she stepped over the bloody bandages that lay on the floor.

"She must not get any visitors that often" noted Hikari looking at the poorly maintained kitchen.

"I can see why" said Asuka as she glanced around some more and then proceeded to head towards the bedroom.

"What are you doing Asuka? We should get out of here before Rei gets home and catches us" said Hikari looking nervously at the door.

"So what, we are investigating here. I want to know what Wondergirl is up to. Normally I would think it was something to do with that Baka, but with his condition it has to be something else." Asuka's face looked sullen for a brief second before returning to its previous form of disgust.

"Have you visited him since he was hospitalized?" ask Hikari catching the look on Asuka's face.

"Hell no, why should I? The Baka being hospitalized is nothing new." answered Asuka.

"But, it's been over three months and he hasn't woken up. Touji told me on our date last night that he heard that it wasn't because of some battle with an Angel. Aren't you worried that he will never wake up? I know you feel something for him."

"I feel nothing for that Baka. He is just a housemate to me as well as a fellow pilot. Besides, you shouldn't be listening to that dumb jock. After all he is nothing but a stooge. I still don't understand what you see in him anyway." said Asuka growing impatient at her friend's inquiring.

Hikari decided to leave her boyfriend out of it and dropped the subject. She knew Asuka was lying through her teeth and felt something for Shinji. However, she also knew that Asuka's prideful nature would never let her admit to it. She watched in shock as Asuka walked into Rei's room and asked "Asuka, what are you doing? That's Rei's room."

"So? Wondergirl has never cared about her privacy before. Look at the clothes on the floor. I bet she walks around naked all day" Asuka stepped into the simple bedroom and looked around. The room only contained a bed, a dresser and nothing else. Asuka then noticed the large lump under the covers on the bed and walked to investigate it and tripped.

…………………………………………………

"Wow, HE actually did that in class. God, he must have been so embarrassed." Said Shinji in astonishment in hearing what his friend Touji did.

"Sohyru made every effort to mock him of his actions. However, Horaki ignored her and returned Suzuhara's affection. It was as you say a tender moment." said Rei with a slight smile on her face.

"I wish I could have been there to see it." said Shinji with a gloomy look appearing on his face.

"Do not worry. You will get to see it in person." said Rei trying to cheer Shinji up.

"I am beginning to think that I will be here forever. That I will never wake up from this nightmare. But, at least you are here with me Rei. Without you, I would have gone mad a long time ago." Shinji then looked at Rei and smiled again.

Rei returned the smile and asked while blushing "Shinji, I was wondering if we could continue what we started earlier".

Shinji's face grew bright red as he replied "Um, sure if you want to. I wasn't sure if you were in the mood."

"I do want to. I wish to give you warmth again." and with that said, Rei shut her eyes and moved to place her lips on Shinji's.

Shinji closed his eyes as well and started to return the kiss when he suddenly felt everything get colder in an instant. Opening his eyes, he found himself alone in the hall. Wondering what happened, he hugged himself and whispered "So cold."

…………………………………………………..

Rei found herself awake with a large mass on top of her, but with the covers over her head she could not identify the source. Bending her knees, she then kicked the large mass off of her and heard a large cry of pain. Removing the covers and standing up, she found Asuka on the ground against the wall rubbing her right side with Hikari trying to help her up.

"What the hell Wondergirl? You didn't have to kick so hard" said Asuka painfully.

Rei was angry. She was nearly close to fulfilling her dream of becoming "one with Ikari" and the intruding red-head ruined it for her. She had been ripped away from Shinji and forced him to be alone in that cold world. Her red eyes bore furiously into both Hikari's and Asuka's causing Hikari back away slowly and Asuka to visibly flinch.

"Why are you here Sohyru?" asked a very pist-off Rei.

"Just seeing what you are up to, Wondergirl. You left before we could finish our conversation" answered the Asuka, regaining her composure.

"Get out"

"Excuse me?"

"I said GET OUT" said Rei raising her voice.

"And if I don't?" challenged Asuka, stepping forward.

Before Rei could answer, Hikari grabbed her friend and said "Sorry for intruding Rei, we'll leave right now." Hikari then proceeded to walk out of the apartment with the protesting Asuka who could not escape her friends grasp.

Once Hikari and Asuka were out of the apartment, Hikari let Asuka go and awaited her friend's angry questions on why she interfered.

"Why the hell did you do that? Don't tell me you were afraid of Wondergirl?" asked Asuka angrily.

"You didn't see it?" asked Hikari in awe.

"See what?"

"Rei was glowing. Even her eyes, they were getting redder and redder. I can't believe you missed it." Answered Hikari, shocked at her friends lack of observation.

"It must have been a trick of the light. Well its time to head home anyway. I want to get there before Misato does or she will cook, and I definitely don't want that." and with that said, Asuka and Hikari left the apartment complex behind. Hikari though would never forget that look of fury on Rei's face. Ever.

………………………………………………………………..

Rei watched the girls from the window as they walked down the street away from the apartment. She was still furious and desperately needed to vent her anger on something or she couldn't fall asleep again. Looking at the pile of junk mail on the ground, Rei extended her AT field which instantly incinerated the pile of mail into ash. Collapsing to the ground exhausted, Rei then began to head towards the bed when the Angel alarm suddenly wailed.

'_Damn, I knew that was too much. I hope the Commander and Dr. Akagi understand'_ thought Rei as she began to get dressed and head to NERV for the false alarm.

Author's Note: Here's chapter 5. A Huge Thanks to my friend "Sideris" who is the author of "Save Me" and "To Love an Angel", two really great fics, for pre-reading this for me and offering advice on the confrontation between Asuka and Rei.. I hoped you enjoyed it. Before you Asuka lovers flame me, Asuka will redeem herself later in the fic and will help out Rei in a big way. As for Rei using her AT field, I will explain how that happened in the next chapter. Please R&R.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own it, but when I become ruler of the world…

Rei stood in the dark office desperately trying to hide her impatience under the emotionless mask she wore. Before her sat Commander Ikari, in his usual position with Fuyutsuki standing beside him. Rei knew the Commander was upset with her after today's incident.

"Rei, do you know why I have summoned you?" ask Gendo.

"Yes sir. It was because I used my AT field outside of NERV" answered Rei, with no emotion in her voice.

"Why?"

"My place of residence was disturbed by the intrusion of Pilot Sohyru and her friend Hikari Horaki. Pilot Sohyru then rudely woke me from my slumber and refused to leave and challenged me after I ordered her to get out. Before an altercation broke out, Miss Horaki interfered and removed both herself and Pilot Sohyru from my residence. However, I was still upset on the intrusion and vented my anger by using my AT field." reported Rei, and then waited for the Commander to speak.

Gendo sat there for a few minutes staring at Rei. Rei returned the stare with one of her own. Fuyutsuki actually found the situation comical and struggled not to laugh out loud.

"It is not to happen again. You are only allowed to use your AT field within NERV so that you don't trigger any alarms. I will inform Section 2 to keep Pilot Sohyru way from your residence, but I suggest you find new ways of "venting your anger". Understood?"

"Yes Sir" answered Rei, still with no emotion in her voice.

"Very well then, Dismissed"

Rei turned around and left the office. Commander Ikari sat there for several minutes before finally speaking.

"It would appear that she is growing stronger. Dr. Akagi informed me that the sensors picked up her AT field almost immediately, despite the safe guards we installed that were designed to separate Rei's AT field to that of a genuine Angel attack."

"It is a good thing then that Pilot Sohyru's friend pulled her out of there when she did, or Rei could have seriously injured her" said Fuyutsuki.

"Yes, that would have raised too many questions." agreed Gendo.

"What about replacing her with another clone so something like this won't happen again." asked Fuyutsuki, a little disgusted at himself for even suggest the idea.

"That is no longer possible. Dr. Akagi has informed me that all the spares have begun to show the same changes as Rei. The angelic DNA has started to overwrite the human DNA, erasing any traces of Yui's DNA. Akagi has therefore argued against replacing her since we cannot predict what will happen in the transference of her soul into a new body. We could risk Rei rebelling and we cannot have that" answered Gendo with a touch of frustration in his voice.

"Was this foreseen?" asked Fuyutsuki, a little amused at Ikari's frustration.

"Yes, but we should have been past the sixteenth Angel before it became useful. The delay in the attacks has rendered it problem for us instead." Gendo's mask then dropped only to be replaced with an angry look.

'_It seems that you are afraid of your own creation, Ikari.' _Thought Fuyutsuki, amused at the whole thing._ 'Your key to Instrumentality is quite possibly no longer under your control and could squash you if she so desired. I suppose the most ironic thing is that you need her more than she needs you.' _ And with that, Fuyutsuki smiled.

……………………………………………………

Captain John Mathews stood nervously as he watched the large unmarked cargo VTOL hover over his ship. It had taken three weeks for the freighter to reach the rendezvous point in the North Atlantic from Okinawa, and he was a nervous wreck for the whole trip. Still looking out the window of the bridge, he waited for the communication from the aircraft.

"Open the cargo bay doors and raise the cargo" a voice suddenly said over the radio.

"Do it" said the Captain turning to one of the operators on the bridge. The operator did as ordered and pressed a few buttons on his control panel. The large bay doors that sat in the middle of the ship opened up and a large brown metal container was raised to the surface. The bottom of the VTOL opened up and a crane came out and pulled the container off the ship and into the aircraft.

The VTOL remained where it was for several more minutes and Captain Matthews continued to stand on the bridge getting even more nervous. He had instructions when he receive the cargo were very strict. He knew he was dealing with very powerful forces but he needed the money very badly for his daughter's condition. The hospital bills were starting to build up and finding jobs to pay for them was scarce.

However, he was in Okinawa when he was approached by a man dressed in a dark suit who seemed to know how much financial trouble the Captain was in. The man appeared to be Irish which surprised the Captain since they were a long way from Ireland. The man's offer was this: deliver a container to a rendezvous point in the North Atlantic with no question asked for a massive amount of money. The container was to be untouched and was not to fall in anyone else's hands or there would be dire consequences. The Captain's instincts told him to refuse the job, but the money was too good to pass up.

"All is well. Here is your payment promised. Tell no one of this or else" said the voice coming over the radio again. Out of the bottom of the VTOL, a large box came out and landed on the ship. The VTOL then took off for destinations unknown.

Leaving the bridge, the Captain headed to the box with his second mate right beside him. As he approached it, he was handed a crow bar by one of the deck hands. The Captain then pried the top of the box off and gazed at the site before him. A large stack of money with the official UN seal lay before him. Ordering the money to be hauled to his room and ordered the course for home, the Captain then looked at the VTOL which was getting smaller by the minute and finally sighed a breath of relief.

…………………………………………………….

Aboard the VTOL, a brown-haired woman dressed in a lab coat watched as the S2 engine was taken out of the metal cargo container and placed in a holding tank filled with an unknown liquid. Smiling to herself, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number and placed the phone to her ear. After a few rings, a voice answered.

"We have the package. The thirteenth Angel Bardiel is now in our hands sir."

Author's Note: Well here is chapter 6 and I hope it has explained a few things from the last chapter. I know its short but I am trying to make the chapters longer. As for how Rei is interacting with Shinji, I will get to that but in due time so a little patience there. Now so far, NERV has no idea of Rei's interaction but that will not last long. As for Rei's OOC, I like to think that we are all different in our dream state, and with her why should that be different? But, if you don't accept that, I will explain her OOC in due time as well. I am not sure what to do next chapter, but I will have it up in a week. I hope. Once again, a big thanks to Sideris for the pre-read. Please R&R.

P.S.: If you are reading this Zentrodie, What did you mean by Fleshing out? I think your review got cut off before you could explain.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer" Still don't own it, but maybe with this nuke I acquired on EBay….

Shinji hugged himself trying to get warm. As soon as Rei vanished, the cold which had been held at bay by her presence instantly filled to hall where he still sat. It was always so cold, and he didn't know why. Looking to his side, he noticed a black coat amongst the small pile of clothing that lay there. Taking the coat from the pile, Shinji wrapped it around himself and used it as a blanket. Yawning, Shinji closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Waking up, Shinji wasn't surprised that nothing had changed during his brief nap. But, of course he had gotten used to it. Shinji always found it funny when he drifted off to sleep. He was already in a coma according to Rei, so how could he sleep when he slept. Of course the whole situation was funny enough as it was. Deciding that he needed a change of scenery, Shinji got up and placed the jacket back where he found it since it provided very little warmth to begin with. Shinji then walked down the long lit hall towards the command center.

Taking a short cut he had found earlier, Shinji walked through the blown-out wall and stepped into the command center. Seeing more piles of clothing, Shinji stepped over them and headed to the upper levels of the Command Center to the spot where he used when he needed to think. When he arrived, Shinji activated the panel on the wall in front of him and was lifted up to his destination. Walking a short distance, Shinji then sat in the chair where his father occupied whenever there was a battle or situation.

Shinji was always amazed how small everything looked from where he sat. His father's position towered over everything in the Command Center making the spot seem like some sort of throne with his father lord and master. It was when Shinji first sat in his father's chair did he realize that his father had a serious God complex. But, it also gave him insight to what his father might be thinking, and that insight enraged Shinji. _'We are nothing but chess pieces to him. To be placed and sacrificed at his will only'_ Shinji thought growing angry. He originally thought that his condition was his father's doing, but Rei convinced him otherwise.

Shinji leaned back and looked around at the condition of the Command Center. The place was a mess, piles of clothing lay about; bullet holes everywhere; Shinji wanted to desperately know what had happened here. He had tried working the terminals, but they were too damaged to be useful. The laptop that lay next to a pile of clothing seemed to be in good condition but the battery that powered it was long dead. He decided that maybe the outside could give him some clue to why he was here, but unfortunately Shinji could not muster up the courage to leave Terminal Dogma. The sights outside were just too horrible. Those weird things on the crosses, destruction everywhere, and the crimson sky; It was too much to take in.

Why was he here? What purpose did this all serve? Shinji wanted to know so that he could find some way to leave this Hell he was imprisoned in. He shivered again as the cold air of the place touched him. _'Rei, please be back soon'_

………………………………………………

Second Impact changed the face of the Earth not only in geological way, but politically as well. Second Impact could be seen by some as the event that truly nailed the coffin shut on the British Empire. Due to massive flooding and other internal problems, England had to look out for itself and withdrew all its support and troops from all former territories it once occupied.

Ireland was one of these territories. Though the population was happy that Ireland was at last unified, people had to ask at what price. Though politically unified, Ireland suffered through famine, disease, and other problems left by Second Impact. Years later, Ireland had gotten back on its feet, but the country was a shell of its former self. No longer a single large mass, Ireland now a country made up of many small isles. Many of these isles housed some human population, but others could not and were devoid of life. Or so it appeared to be.

As the VTOL approached one of these single forsaken isles, the reason for its abandonment appeared obvious. The isle itself was nothing but rock with very little green shown. No rivers and streams could be seen and any life would have long since died off for the lack of fresh water. However, the isle itself housed an interesting secret. It was hollow on the inside and housed a very large base.

As the VTOL hovered over the isle, the rock formation directly beneath it shifted and opened up revealing a large hanger bay. The VTOL descended into the hanger and once it had landed the doors above it closed and once again making it appear as nothing but a rock formation. The VTOL opened its rear hatch and began to unload its cargo.

The brown-haired women exited the aircraft and approached the man that appeared to be waiting for her at the end of the hanger leading to the inner sanctum of the base.

"Have you confirmed its presence?" asked the man as the women stopped in front of him.

"Yes, Bardiel is definitely inside of the S2 engine, right where the scrolls said it would be." said the women with a smile.

Sean McGregor smile as he digested the news. "Excellent. That makes it a total of six out of the seven remaining Angels in our possession. How long will it take to bring Bardiel under our control sister?"

"Give me a week. Having the nanites infect the S2 engine to reach Bardiel will take some time due to the state of the engine. We will have to proceed carefully." answered Rachel McGregor as she turned her head to the S2 engine as it was being loaded onto the mover in order to transport it to her lab which was located deeper within base.

"Good. I want you to activate Ireul for me. I have use for its special talents." said Sean, suddenly smiling.

"What for?" ask Rachel with a puzzled look on her face.

"We need to find out where Keel is keeping Tabris at." answered Sean.

"Can't you ask at the next council meeting where he is being held?"

"No, it would raise too many questions on how I know of him in the first place. Only a select few know of his existence at all and I don't qualify as one of them. I need you to have Ireul acquire the information on Tabris's whereabouts as well as any info on Ikari's plans"

"Ikari's plans also?"

"Yes, the council still has no clue on what Gendo Ikari is planning and Agent Kaji is starting to prove himself useless to us. There is some debate on the idea of eliminating him."

"I see. Well to attain both objectives, the best course of action would be to have Ireul infect one of the NERV branch's MAGI and use it hack both Tokyo-3's and Germany's own MAGI. Which branch should we use Iruel to infect? The American, Russian, Chinese, or French MAGI?"

"We'll have Ireul infect the French MAGI. The NERV branch there is not equipped to deal with an Angel. It makes it easier for Ireul to get in and out without it getting into danger."

"I see. Well it will be done right away. You do know that once we wake up Ireul and use him, all the modifications we were working on with Zeruel will have to stop until we are done with Iruel, right?" asked Rachel with a frown on her face.

"I take it you still don't know why the Angels can be only awaken one at a time, even though we had long since turned the device off?"

"No. The signal is still going off even though the device emanating it is no longer functioning. My only guess is that something else is now producing the signal. We have tracked the signal's new source to Tokyo 03 though."

"Could it be either Adam or Lilith? Both reside in Tokyo 03."

"That is a possibility. However, with no data to support this, I cannot support that hypothesis."

"Hmm, alright we'll use Ireul to see if it can find out anything pertaining to this problem as we are going through Tokyo 03's MAGI. Let me know what you find."

"Yes brother, I will get on it right away" and with that said, Rachel McGregor turned and headed where the Angels were kept. Sean turned and walked in the opposite direction to the Command Center to watch for results.

Author's Note: Well here is chapter 7 and boy it was a lot harder to write than my other chapters. First off, I like to thank my pre-reader Sideris for pre-reading this chapter; he has been extremely helpful to me in writing this fic. Second, a big thanks to my reviewers: Andy, J.G. the Master Gamer, J.Alana1, God of Epyon, Adam Kadmon, Lone Wulffe, Xardion, and Void8. Your reviews are what inspire me to continue this fic.

Zentrodie: I hope this is what you mean on "fleshing out", or at least an improvement in that area. Let me know.

Keyblade-02: Thank you for the praise, I greatly appreciate it. I also feel honored that you added my fic to your favorites. Do not worry; all questions raised by this fic will be answered by its end. All I ask is that you be patient and keep reading.

Next chapter will be action packed as Iruel makes his day view. Please R&R.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The nuke was a dud, so I still don't own it.

Lieutenant Louis Alexis sat at his post, continuing to stare at the screen in front of him. It was the same routine he practiced everyday at the French Branch of NERV; which was located twenty-five miles from Paris. Unlike his colleagues, he wished that an Angel would attack. However, the Angels seem to only attack Tokyo 03 and his numerous requests for a transfer were always denied. Sighing, he leaned back and thought about taking a nap. No one would care if he did so, nothing ever happened anyway and Commander Pierre Franck was a much laid back leader. To his right sat Lt. Gaston Eric, who was already asleep and snoring quite loudly. The two of them were alone in the Command Center which was an ordinary thing at the base. Due to budget cuts, there was always a small staff on shift everyday. This would be a problem if an attack occurred but nothing ever happened at the French Branch.

………………………………………………………………

The Eleventh Angel known as Ireul wormed its way through the computer network of the NERV base. So far it hadn't been detected and any barriers or traps that lay in its path had been easily broken through. As it moved the last obstacle in its path and the base's MAGI before it, Ireul stopped and waited for its orders to commence its mission.

……………………………………………………………….

"Ireul has reached its destination Doctor" said the technician, looking up at Dr. McGregor.

Rachel smiled and replied "Excellent, Commence Operation"

…………………………………………………………………

Receiving its orders from its new master, Ireul began its infection of the MAGI.

…………………………………………………………………

Just as Lt. Alexis was about to drift off to sleep, an alarm suddenly ripped through the Command Center. Sitting up in his chair, he began to type on the console.

"Oh my God, this is impossible"

"What is it?" asked Lt. Eric, now awake from the alarm.

"There is an Angel in the base" replied Lt. Alexis in disbelief.

"That's impossible; the Commander said that the Angels only attacked Tokyo 03"

"I know, but the sensors have detected an Angel" exclaimed Lt. Alexis.

Hearing footsteps behind them, both lieutenants turned around and watched Commander Franck walk up to them with a very fearful look upon his face.

"Report"

"Sir, the sensors have detected an Angel within the base. I am attempting to locate it now" answered Lt. Alexis turning back to his console. After a minute of typing, he suddenly stopped and a look of horror appeared on his face.

"My God sir, its infecting the MAGI. 90 has already been taken over."

"Can't you do something!" yelled the Commander.

"It's locked me out, there's nothing I can do" Lt. Alexis answered.

All three men watched as the Angel finished its infection of the MAGI.

……………………………………………..

Accomplishing the first part of its mission, Ireul preceded to the next the second part.

……………………………………………..

Maya Ibuki yawned as she sat in the empty Command Center. It was in the middle of the night in Tokyo 03 and the command staff had left, leaving her as the highest ranking person in NERV at the present time. Makoto and Shigeru's replacements for that evening had left to get a snack leaving her alone. Cursing at herself for volunteering for the night shift, Maya was about to leave to get some coffee when an alarm went off. Fearing an Angel attack, Maya rushed to her console on to discover in horror that someone had successfully hacked the MAGI and bypassed its security firewalls.

'_Oh my God, what do I do? Only Dr. Akagi has the knowledge to fight this'_ though Maya as the intruder proceeded to download all the files stored in NERV's database. Attempting to stop the download, Maya began to type rapidly on her console. Hearing the doors open behind her, Maya continued to type as the technician's Clark and Izuki rushed to their posts.

"What's going on, sir?" asked Clark, looking at his screen.

"We have an unknown intruder downloading our files. Clark, you try to trace the hacker. Izuki, you contact Dr. Akagi and let her know what's going on."

"Yes sir" both men said at once.

After a few minutes, Clark is the first to report. "Sir, according to the trace, we are being hacked by the French Branch."

"What the hell. Why?"

"I don't know sir, I can't get any communication from them." responded Clark.

"Sir, I can't get hold of Dr. Akagi. She isn't answering her phone" reported Izuki.

With 80 of their files downloaded, Maya was scared to death. She very little experience in dealing with the MAGI and the knowledge Dr. Akagi had taught her so far was no use in dealing with the present crisis. Then suddenly, Maya got an idea.

"Shut down the power" commanded Maya looking at Clark.

"Sir?"

"You heard me"

"But sir that would leave us vulnerable to an attack" said Clark.

"If we don't, then all our files will be downloaded. As the commanding officer in charge, I order you to kill the power now" said Maya in the most commanding voice she could muster. Clark looked at her for another few seconds and then typed a few commands on his console. With a final push of a button, everything went dark. Without any power, the MAGI were completely shut down. As she sat in the darkness, Maya believed that the decision she had made was right one. She hoped Commander Ikari and Dr. Akagi thought so as well.

…………………………………………………………

"Doctor, Ireul has successfully downloaded all of the German Branch of NERV's files. However, for some unknown reason it could not finish the download of the files at Tokyo 03."

"Hmm, alright we'll have to make do with what we got. Order Ireul to complete its final part of the mission and return to base."

"Yes Doctor."

…………………………………………………………….

Receiving its orders, Ireul began to leave the MAGI. But, before it completely withdrew, it sent one last command into the computer system.

……………………………………………………………..

"Sir, the Angel is gone but it has activated the self destruct system. We have ten minutes." said LT Alexis panicking.

"Can you stop it?" asked Commander Franck.

"No, I am completely locked out."

Activating the base's internal communication system, Commander Franck announced "This is Commander Franck speaking, all personnel evacuate immediately. This is not a drill. There is ten minutes until the self destruct goes off. Get clear now." Standing back from the console, he then said to the lieutenants "Let's get the hell out of here". The three men then ran at full speed to the exit of the base.

Ten minutes later, an explosion rocked the city of Paris as its residents observed the massive mushroom cloud that arose from the ground from far away. It was truly a sight to see but brought fear and confusion to the city's residents. Large amounts of dust and dirt began to rain down on the populace. What began as a sunny day, turned into a dark day of death and destruction.

Author's Note: I hope you guys liked this chapter. I know it is not as good as the others, but I needed to put this chapter in for a good reason. I promise that the next chapter will feature more of Shinji and Rei as well as the fall out from the Ireul's attack. Thanks again to Sideris for the pre-read and also a thanks to my reviewers, your words are greatly appreciated. Until next time.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Rei opened up the door of her apartment and stepped inside. Making sure the door was locked; she walked down the hall to her bedroom. When she arrived, Rei walked to her bed and fell upon it. She was so tired after the day's events, she fell asleep almost immediately.

She once again found herself within NERV headquarters, but in a different place than where she left Shinij. Recognizing the hall where she was located, Rei knew that she was somewhere near the command center. Sensing that Shinji might be there, Rei walked down the long hall carefully maneuvering past the clothes that were scattered about the floor. As she rounded a corner, she saw a large hole where the walls separating the command center once lie. Walking through the hole, Rei found herself in the lower part of the command center.

"Rei!" yelled a voice, catching her attention. Rei looked up and saw that Shinji sat in the Commander's seat.

"Shinji, stay where you are; I'll come to you" yelled Rei back. She then proceeded to the upper echelons of the Command Center. Arriving at the lift to the Commander's station, Rei activated the lift's controls and found herself seconds later standing in front of Shinji.

"I missed you. What happened?" asked Shinji rising to his feet.

"A long story" answered Rei.

"Oh. Um, if you want, you can sit and I can stand" said Shinji moving aside and offering Rei the seat.

"No. I would rather sit on your lap" said Rei, smiling.

"Err, Okay" Shinji then sat back down with a blush to his cheeks. Rei then walked up to him and sat down on his lap in a lateral position. They sat silently for several minutes staring into each others eyes. Shinji felt such warmth that he temporarily forgot his present situation. Reaching forward, Shinji began to caress Rei's right cheek which he found to be so smooth. Rei smiled and closed her eyes, taking in the warmth of his hand. Using her other hand, Rei clasped it with Shinji's other hand and held it for several minutes until she felt his lips covering hers. The kiss lasted for a couple of minutes and brought genuine happiness to their hearts.

Breaking the kiss, Shinji placed his forehead against Reis and started to speak. "I wish you could stay here with me. This Hell I am in wouldn't be so bad as long as you were by my side." Rei opened her red eyes and stared back into Shinji's blue eyes.

"We will be together in some way, I promise. If I cannot find away to bring you back to the waking world, then I will find some way of staying in the sleeping world with you" said Rei with a determination to her voice.

Shinji smiled and said "I don't want to tie you down, Rei. If there is no way to help me, I want you to forge…" Shinji's smile suddenly dropped as soon as Rei's scowl appeared on her face.

"No" said Rei, becoming angry. "I have found a new life to live. You have shown me happiness and love; and raised me out of that emotionless doll that Sohyru has always accused me of being. You are MY life now Shinji Ikari and I will NOT lose you." Rei stared at Shinji, trying to calm down.

Shinji then smiled again and said "Thank you Rei. I just want you to be happy"

"I am happy Shinji. For the first time in my life, I am happy. I feel so alive. I am my own person now and not the Commander's instrument." Rei then smiled again.

There was silence between them as they continued to glaze into each other's eyes. The silenced ended when Shinji looked away and asked "Do you think I am being punished?"

"For what?" asked Rei with puzzled expression on her face.

"For killing the Angels maybe; I just don't understand why I am here. What have I done to warrant this prison?" asked Shinji again with a trace of despair in his voice.

Rei reached out and grabbed Shinji's face to look at her. "You have nothing wrong. All you were doing was protecting Humanity. You are a kind and noble person who is full of love and compassion for everyone; even those who do not deserve it."

Shinji sighed and asked "Then why am I here?"

"I don't know" answered Rei "But I will find out why. Then I will solve the problem and we will be together."

"I hope so. Thank you Rei, I love you." said Shinji, smiling once again.

"And I love you Shinji Ikari. We will get through this, I promise" and with that said, Rei brought her lips to Shinji's which sealed the promise and the bond between them.

As the kissed continued, Rei inwardly prayed to every God and Deity for some idea on how to fulfill her promise.

She hoped that they were listening.

Author's Note: I know this chapter was short and probably not as good as the other chapters but I felt that another heart-felt moment between Shinji and Rei was needed. I know Rei was Extremely OOC but that is to be expected in her astral self. If the romantic stuff was cheesy, I am sorry but keep in mind that I am new at this. Once again, a huge thanks to Sideris for the pre-read.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Maya Ibuki stood in front of Commander Ikari with a great deal of fear moving through her. Beside the Commander stood Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki; both men wore emotionless masks, which made it worse for Maya since she could not tell how angry they were and how she was going to be punished. Next to her stood Dr. Akagi, also wearing an emotionless mask; Maya could deal with the Commander's anger, but having Dr. Akagi angry with her was something she desperately did not want to happen. She idolized her Sempai and wanted her to be proud of Maya. Maya also had another desire, but that one, felt Maya, was never going to happen.

The four of them were currently inside Commander Ikari's office. It was approximately eight hours since the hacking. Power was just restored an hour earlier but it did take a while to restore.

"Lieutenant Ibuki, why did you shut down NERV's power grid, making us vulnerable to attack?" asked Commander Ikari. Maya cringed at the emotionless tone of his voice.

"An unknown intruder managed to override our protective fire walls and security measures on the MAGI. The intruder then proceeded to download all files store in the MAGI" answered Maya, trying to the best of her ability to keep a straight face and her tone professional.

"And this warranted you shutting down the power?" asked Gendo with a tone of amusement in his voice.

"Yes Sir" answered Maya.

There was silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, Fuyutsuki leaned down and whispered in the Commanders ear. After he was finished, the Sub-Commander assumed his normal position. Then Gendo spoke.

"Dr. Akagi"

"Yes sir?"

"I order you to instruct the _Captain_ here on all functions of the MAGI. See to it that if something like this happens again, she will be better instructed on how to deal with the situation other than "killing the power". Though you put NERV at risk _Captain_ Ibuki, you did manage to prevent vital secrets from getting out. Such would have been disastrous to this Organization" 'and my Scenario' thought Gendo. "Therefore a reward is in order _Captain. _Dismissed"

Maya couldn't believe it. Not only was she not in trouble, but she got promoted as well. Before she left the room with Dr. Akagi, Maya gave the Commanders the best salute she could muster. Gendo acknowledged it and watched both women walk out the door.

"So none of the more secure files were downloaded?" asked Gendo.

"None and the files they did get were of no importance anyways. It would appear that _Captain_ Ibuki did us a great service by cutting the power" said Fuyutsuki with a side glance at Gendo.

"Yes, hence her promotion. I have a meeting with SEELE in twenty minutes. Maybe they can shed some light on this.

…………………………………………………………………………….

"Well?" asked Sean McGregor walking into the Commander Center. He was due to attend a meeting of SEELE in fifteen minutes. Rachael looked up from her console and started speaking.

"I have good news, bad news, some more bad news, and some interesting news" Rachael leaned back in her seat and looked at her brother.

"Go on" said McGregor with a curious tone in his voice.

"The good news is that I have located Tabris. The bad news is that for some unknown reason, he remains un-affected by the signal and he is awake. So bringing him under our control is now impossible. Also we were not able to get into NERV's more secure files, so we still have no idea what Gendo Ikari's plans are" Rachael waited for a response.

"This definitely puts our plans at risk. What about the interesting news?" asked Sean.

"Tell me something. Have you been informed about the current status of NERV's pilots?

"No, should I?"

"Well it seems that the Third Child, Shinji Ikari, has lapsed into a mysterious coma."

"So?"

"Apparently this coma started about the same time we first initiated the signal world-wide. His condition also mimics the other Angels as well"

"What! I thought that the signal wouldn't affect humans?" said Sean incredulously.

"Its not supposed to. But, for some unknown reason he is affected and cannot wake up. According to the files, NERV is clueless to why he is this way. I have to admit that I am also baffled."

"Could the Third Child be an Angel?"

"According to his recent scan, he is still human. No presence of a S2 organ."

"Then why is he affected?"

"Like I said, I have no clue. But, this maybe related to why we cannot wake all the Angels at once."

"Are you sure?"

"It is only a theory at the moment. I will need to process the data some more."

"Fine. Use whatever resources you need to find out if these two incidents are related. I have a meeting to attend to."

"You know I never understood why our dear departed father even bothered with these meetings?"

"The Old Men like to stick together. What fools they are."

"That's not a very nice thing to say about our father."

"Our father was a fool. This whole Instrumentality is a stupid idea. That's why you and I had to get rid of him."

"That was fun wasn't it, dear brother?"

"He never saw it coming." and with that Sean left the good Doctor to attend the meeting.

Rachael smiled and watched him leave. Turning back to her console, she contemplated whether to have the rest of SEELE's carcasses just thrown in the ocean, or to do some private experiments on them.

Author's Note: I hope you guys liked this update. Sorry for the delay, it is hard balancing two fics at once. The next update should be up sometime after chapter 3 of "Vengeance and Redemption". Please R&R.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

SELLE 03: "How could this have happened? According to the scrolls, the Angel should have attacked Tokyo 03, not the French Branch."

SEELE 11: "The scrolls have been off on a lot of things lately. We are no where near the timeframe we should be at."

In a darkened room underneath the echelons of NERV sat Gendo Ikari. Surrounding him were twelve monoliths, each containing twelve of the most powerful people in the world. However, a recent incident was a blow to the powerful organization. The Angels have returned after their long time of silence and struck in a way that was not predicted by anyone. The destruction of the French Branch was not important to Gendo and SEELE, but the nature of the destruction was something to be concerned about. The Angel had used the branch to steal vital information; which was very unusual.

SEELE 09: "How much did the Angel managed to steal?"

SEELE 02: "Just about everything. If it had been anyone else, we would all be dead or in prison."

SEELE 12: "This doesn't make sense. What would an Angel want with the info? It's not like it could use it."

SEELE 07: "Perhaps it is part of an organized action." McGregor smiled when he said this, knowing full well what response he would get.

SEELE 01: "That is absurd. The Angels do not have the intelligence for such an action."

"They are also competing against one another as well" said Gendo, agreeing with the monolith. Both Keel and Gendo were disgusted at the notion and its raiser.

'_Fools'_ thought McGregor. Making those kinds of statements always made Sean look like an idiot to the organization. However, that was intentional. Keel paid less attention to Sean and his activities as long as he thought McGregor was a fool and did what he was told. Gendo also didn't pay much attention to him and focused more on Keel, believing that he was the threat.

SEELE 03: "What do we say to the press about the incident? The people will demand answers."

SEELE 05: "We could blame it on terrorists. That has worked in the past."

SEELE 02: "It could work. It would shift the focus and gain us some sympathy."

SEELE 01: "Very well. Make it so."

SEELE 08: "I will get right on it."

SEELE 07: "I am curious to know how the Tokyo 03 branch was able to prevent all its files from being stolen by the Angel." It had been bugging McGregor for some time and wanted to know if Gendo had some secret weapon under his sleeve.

"One of my subordinates got the sudden idea to kill the power to the MAGI." said Gendo. Sean was surprised at the simplicity of the act.

SEELE 11: "Very clever of your subordinate."

"Yes, that is why I promoted her. I though a reward was in order" said Gendo, remembering Maya's response.

SEELE 10: "A good way to insure loyalty."

"Indeed" said Gendo. It remained silent for a few seconds until Gendo asked "Has there been any progress in tracking down the culprits who stole Unit 03's S2 engine?"

SEELE 02: "No, all leads have been exhausted. I have no idea how the culprits are able to remain hidden from us."

'_That's because you like to give a full report on the investigation every time we meet. Your vanity and pride have played into my hands rather well you old fool' _thought Sean, bringing a smile to his face. Every time SEELE 02 reported on close he was, McGregor was able to relay the info to his people.

"I see, that is most unfortunate" said Gendo. His own private investigation conducted by Agent Kaji had yielded no result as well.

SEELE 01: "Yes, unfortunate indeed. Ikari, you are no longer required to attend this meeting. You may leave."

"Very well" said Gendo, rising from his seat. He was glad to leave what he thought was a bunch of old fools. Walking out of the meeting room, Gendo decided that a "session" with Akagi was needed.

SEELE 02: "If it weren't for the attack on Tokyo 03, I would think Ikari was behind it all."

SEELE 05: "He might still be. The attack on his MAGI might be a way to throw us off his scent."

SEELE 09: "Impossible. There is no way Ikari could control an Angel."

SEELE 04: "How do we know it was an Angel? It could have been something else; something to convince us that it was an Angel."

SEELE 01: "Because the nature of the Angel was described in the scrolls."

SEELE 12: "I thought we had established that the scrolls could no longer be trusted?"

SEELE 01: "The nature of the Angels has yet to be wrong. However, in case I am wrong I have decided to send the Fifth Child to Tokyo 03 to find out if Ikari is involved."

SEELE 02: "Why so soon? Couldn't we have Agent Kaji find out for us?"

SEELE 01: "Agent Kaji's loyalty is questionable at the moment. I believe that he can be no longer trusted."

SEELE 06: "Should we have him eliminated?"

SEELE 01: "Not just yet. We will wait and see what the Fifth Child finds out."

SEELE 03: "Aren't you worried that the Fifth Child will go after Adam the minute he arrives in Tokyo 03?"

SEELE 01: "The boy has reported to me that he can not hear the call of Adam. That insures his obedience to us. With that said, this meeting is over. I will inform the council of what the Fifth Child discovers." The monoliths disappeared one by one until only Keel was left and then signed off as well. Sean was now looking forward to the next meeting hoping that the Fifth Child would shed some light on the Third Child's condition.

………………………………………………………………………………….

Keel walked the long dark hall towards his destination. Arriving, he stepped into an empty room containing a large cylinder tank in which housed a silver haired boy floating in LCL. His eyes were closed and only opened them when he was addressed by Keel.

"You are to prepare yourself for travel. I want you to go to Tokyo 03 and fin out what Ikari is up to. Report your findings when you have something." said Keel. After receiving an acknowledgement from the boy, Keel turned and walked out of the room.

Floating in the tank, Kowrou Nagisa smiled in anticipation of his arrival at NERV. He would finally see the boy seen only in his dreams.

Author's Note: Well it's been a long time, hasn't it? I apologize for that and promise that the next update will be sooner. I also like to wish Lone Wulffe a Happy Birthday in which I was informed of at the Apartment 402 message forums and dedicate this chapter to her as well as my friend Sideris who pre-read for me. Thanks Sideris. Also, Chapter 3 of my VaR fic should be out in a few days, I promise. Also be sure to read my one-shot "Family". Please R&R.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Still don't own it, but I do keep an eye out for it on Ebay.

Shinji left the Command Center shortly after Rei left him. Deciding that he had enough of the place, Shinji decided to do some more exploring. He walked thru the halls, moving past the piles of clothes and bullet-ridden walls until he arrived in a section of the base that he was quite familiar with.

During his time in this place, Shinji had yet to explore the hospital wing. It was a part of NERV that was frequently visited and most disliked by him. However, since he was curious to see the room that housed his physical form, he decided to give the room a visit in order to see if there was anything that would give him some clue on his condition.

Walking down the hall of the Hospital wing, Shinji noted the lack of bullet holes and piles of clothing that occupied the other sections of the base. It seemed that whatever event that occurred, it had left this part of the base untouched. Shinji found it funny that the part of NERV in which he hated so much was the most normal looking so far.

Finding his room, Shinji opened the door and stepped inside. Sighing, he was disappointed to find that there was nothing special about the place. All the room contained was an empty bed and lifeless equipment next to it. The room was also painted the same as all the other hospital rooms that he had occupied. Walking to the bed, Shinji fell on his back and gazed at the ceiling.

'_Another familiar ceiling' _thought Shinji, placing his hands behind his neck.

Suddenly there was a noise that caught his attention. Shinji brought himself up to a sitting position and tried to listen for the noise again. It appeared again but seemed to be a creaking sound. It seemed to be coming from the next room. Shinji stood up and walked out the door into the hall. Turning to his right, he walked a few feet to a partly closed door and pushed it all the way open and walked inside.

It was dark inside and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. When they did, Shinji opened his eyes wide and gasped. A body was hanging from the ceiling. The bed sheet that gripped itself around the neck of the body was swinging back and forth which caused the creaking sound. The body was devoid of flesh and the head's mouth was opened partly. There were a few strands of red hair still attached to the body as well. It also was wearing a red plug suit.

He stared on in horror at the sight before him.

_'A-Asuka?'_

The body swayed back and forth, the creaking getting louder it seemed. The fetid stench of the rotting bodies hit him, making him pitch forward gagging. He looked up, to see another person in the shadows of the corner. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the blood stained corpse lying there, revolver in hand. A ragged hole made it home in its head, the blood and gray matter on the wall all too telling.

Shinji held all of his dry heaves at bay as he looked over the bloody body, wearing a torn open white dress shirt, wearing school uniform slacks. He couldn't breathe...

_Me..._

He screamed.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Rei quickly walked out of the building in a rush to get home. Half-way through the class, she had sensed that something was wrong with Shinji. During the lunch break, Rei had called headquarters to check on the current status of Shinji but was told that there was nothing out of the ordinary. When asked by Doctor Akagi on why Rei was checking on Shinji's status, Rei lied and said that she was being bothered by Shinji's friends on the matter. Ritsuko seemed to accept this answer and hung up.

Rei still felt that there was something wrong and decided to skip the rest of school. She practically ran to her apartment, ignoring how it would look to Section 2 and Commander Ikari. Once she arrived, Rei walked inside, locked the door, and headed to the kitchen for her sleeping pills. Throwing two in her mouth and washing them down with water, Rei headed to her bedroom and fell upon the bed. Starting to feel drowsy, Rei closed her eyes and was quickly asleep.

She found herself in a familiar section of NERV. It was the hospital wing and Rei was momentarily confused on why she was brought here. Then she heard crying. Rei started walking until she found the source of the crying. In front of her sat Shinji who was leaning against the wall next to a room. He was weeping into his hands, ignoring Rei's presence in the hall.

"Shinji, what's wrong?" asked Rei, as she ran up to him and kneeled down.

Shinji continued to ignore her, but Rei then heard a creaking sound coming from the room next to where they sat. Standing up, Rei moved past Shinji's weeping form and walked inside. Rei's eyes widen in horror at the sight of the room's contents and the realization on the identities of the two corpses in the room. Rei backed up and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Once again leaning down in front of Shinji, Rei embraced him in a hug as he cried on her shoulder. After a few minutes of weeping, Shinji looked up from Rei's shoulder and looked her in the eyes, tears still evident. He then asked "What is going on here? Am I dead?"

"No, you are not dead Shinji. I checked, your body is fine." answered Rei, trying to hide her fear and shock.

"Then why am I in there dead? Why is Asuka hanging from the ceiling?" asked Shinji again.

"I don't know; all I can say is that you are not the one in that room. It has to be someone else." Rei knew what she had said was a lie. It was quite apparent that Shinji's dead form was in that room. Shinji knew it as well.

Sighing, Rei started to speak again "I don't know what is going on and why those bodies are in there, but I made a promise to find out and I intend to keep it." Leaning forward, she kissed him on the lips.

Shinji kissed her back and then asked "Will you stay with me for a while? I don't want to be alone right now."

"Of course, but lets leave this place now." said Rei standing up and holding out her hand. Shinji nodded and grasped her hand as she pulled him up.

Still holding hands, Shinji and Rei walked down the halls until they reached NERV's lounging area. Spotting a couch, Shinji laid down on it and Rei climbed on top of him. As they lay there, both Rei and Shinji started to make out in a desperate attempt to forget the recent scene of awfulness they had just witnessed. It worked; the only thing on their minds at the moment was love.

………………………………………………………………………………………

"Are you sure this is correct?" asked Sean McGregor, a sound of shock in his voice.

"Yes brother, I have confirmed it with our own MAGI as well. Shinji Ikari the cause of our current problem dealing with waking all the Angels." answered Rachael McGregor, keeping a straight face.

"How is this possible? How can that fourteen year old kid be responsible for the hindrance to our plans?"

"I have no idea, but his comatose body is the source of the signal."

"Then the boy needs to die" said Sean, with a frown on his face.

"I agree brother, but how do we eliminate the child under NERV's noses without tipping them off?" asked Rachael.

"We don't" answered Sean, a grin appearing on his face. "We get Gendo Ikari to do the job for us."

Catching the meaning of her brother's words, Rachael started to grin as well.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay on this chapter, jury duty got in the way. I hope the wait was worth it. I "should" be able to get the next chapter of this and VaR by the end of next week. I want to give a huge thanks to Sideris for the pre-read and advise you to read his fic called "Trepidation", a very awesome fic. From here on out, the chapters should get a little action packed, so tune in to see Rei kick some ass in order to save Shinji as well as some more S/R fluff. Please R&R.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Don't own it, but Christmas is around the corner.

Asuka sat in her Eva, anxiously waiting to launch. The Angel had been detected about an hour ago, but its current location was still unknown. It was currently around 2:30 am in Tokyo-3.

When the phone call first came from NERV, no one had even gotten up to answer it. Finally, Misato emerged from her room, clad in only a pair of skimpy shorts and a tank top with no bra on. Upon answering the phone, she quickly slammed the receiver down and proceeded speedily to Asuka's room, dragging the half-awake teen out of her bed. With her hand still clasped around Asuka's arm, the major grabbed her keys and drove to NERV, breaking the all existing speed laws as usual on the way. When they arrived at the Command Center, both Asuka and Misato received awkward looks and it was then that they realized that they hadn't even remembered to get dressed before arriving. Asuka was the most embarrassed since all she was wearing a long t-shirt and panties. After a few seconds, Asuka ran to the changing room while Ritsuko handed Misato her lab coat.

When she arrived at the changing room, Asuka was surprised to find that Rei was already there and looking completely disheveled. It was something that she found funny since Rei was known for her ability to look so clean cut and perfect all the time. After getting into their plug suits, both girls headed to their Evas. After an hour of waiting, there was still no word on the location of the Angel.

With her patience finally giving out, Asuka was about to activate her comm. when Misato's face suddenly appeared, beating her to the punch.

"It looks like this was a false alarm girls, sorry." said Misato.

Before Asuka could rant, Rei spoke up and asked, "What was the problem Major?"

"It seems that the MAGI made a mistake for some reason. Ritsuko is looking into it now so why don't you girls head home and get some sleep." answered Misato, looking from the screen. Ritsuko was currently conferring with Commander's Ikari and Fuyutsuki in hushed voices. She was suspicious and was considering marching up to the trio and demanding an answer. However, due to Commander Ikari's mood lately, Misato thought that it might be a bad idea. Something was up though, and she thought it might be a good idea to report this to Kaji and his superiors.

……………………………………………………………………….

Rei turned off the water and walked out of the shower in the changing room. She was still at NERV because of her planned visit to Shinji's comatose body, and a quick check on a few things on the MAGI. The girl was also suspicious of the MAGI's mistake and had decided to do a little investigating of her own. Asuka had left earlier, still wearing her plugsuit. She was still embarrassed on what happened earlier and, thankfully for Rei, did not say anything when the two were together.

After she finished dressing, Rei walked out of the changing room and made her way to a computer terminal that she had spied Kaji creating during his many infiltrations of the MAGI. It was just a simple laptop hookup, located in an unused corner of NERV headquarters. The location was also void of any security, making it the ideal place for any attempted hacking.

Walking up to the laptop which sat on the ground, Rei kneeled down and turned it on. While waiting for the computer to boot up, Rei noticed that the current setting that she was in seemed quite structurally sound and made a mental note to check out this place the next time she was with Shinji's mental self.

Rei hated leaving Shinji, especially given his current condition, but she had to find out what was happening to him before Shinji lost all hope.

When the desktop screen appeared, Rei immediately accessed MAGI and typed in a security code that she had stumbled across recently while waiting to be examined in Doctor Akagi's office. While taking advantage of Ritsuko's lateness, Rei had helped herself to the doctor's desk and consequently stumbled across an old security ID for Naoko Akagi as well as some papers that had collected dust over the years. To Rei's surprise, the papers had contained a list of backdoors and security codes for the MAGI that were known only to Naoko. Rei had memorized the codes and procedures and then proceeded to destroy the papers.

Gaining access, Rei brought up a record of the day's events as well as all the info the MAGI had on the alarm. What surprised her was the fact that there was nothing. The data had been erased. Rei sat there for a few seconds contemplating on why the data would have been erased. The only thought that came to her mind was that there was something that Doctor Akagi and Commander Ikari was trying to hide. Rei vowed to find out what that was.

Turning off the laptop, Rei stood up and walked out of the abandoned section to the hospital wing. Upon her arrival, she noticed that the nurse who was usually at her station was conveniently missing. Happy that she did not have to explain her reasons for the late visit, Rei proceeded past the station and arrived at Shinji's room. Opening the door, Rei stood still, surprised at the scene in front of her.

Sitting beside Shinji's bed, which housed his sleeping form, sat a young man with silver hair. He was dressed in black pants and a white over-shirt. His arm was extended out and his hand was caressing Shinji's left cheek. Rei stepped inside, causing the boy to pull back his hand and turn to face her. Rei sucked in air silently at the appearance of the boy's red eyes.

"Who are you?" demanded Rei, as she took another step inside and closed the door behind her.

The lad stood up and smiled while placing his hands inside his pockets. "My name is Kaworu Nagisa, the Fifth Child. You must be the First Child Rei Ayanami; it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Why are you here?" asked Rei, a feeling of uneasiness welling up inside her. During the time that she had spent developing her powers, Rei had begun to sense and understand the environment around her. When she was around other people, she sensed things about them and could almost look into their soul, coming to an understanding on their personality and lifestyle. The boy in front of her gave off an alien feeling which Rei had yet to experience. His red eyes were also a concern to the young girl as well.

"Doctor Akagi was giving me the tour when the alarm sounded. She left me quite quickly and so I sort of wandered here. I always wanted to meet the Third Child; he is quite famous you know," answered Kaworu, walking up to Rei.

"I see" said Rei, standing her ground. Both sets of red eyes bore into each other as the silence in the room continued.

"We are the same, you and I," Kaworu said suddenly, as he continued to stand there smiling at her.

"No, we are not," the girl retorted firmly and full of conviction. The girl knew that she was a lot different than the _thing_ in front of her.

"Hmm, we'll see. It was a pleasure to meet you Ms. Ayanami; I look forward to working with you and Pilots Suzuhara and Sohyru; till we meet again." With that said the boy walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Rei turned from the door and walked up to Shinji. Placing her hand on the cheek that Kaworu was caressing earlier, Rei felt a burst of frustration at the fact that she now had another problem to deal with. There was something definitely off about the Fifth Child, and Rei was adamant to find out what that was.

Sitting on the chair next to the bed, Rei was about to place her head on Shinji's chest when the sounds of footsteps and voices caught her attention. Recognizing one of the voices as Commander Ikari's, Rei looked for a spot to hide in so that she would not have to explain herself to the Commander. Seeing that the sheets were long enough, Rei kneeled down and hid under the bed. From the small crack under her hideout, Rei observed silently as the door opened and three sets of legs walked into the room. As the conversation started, Rei held her breath and did her best to listen in.

"Are sure the MAGI were correct?" said Gendo, as he stared at the comatose form of his son.

"Yes Sir, the readings are accurate. The AT Field definitely came from this room," answered Ritsuko Akagi, staring at both the Commanders.

"How can the Third Child be an Angel? He has been asleep for months," questioned Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki.

"It is unknown, and the absence of an S2 organ is also a mystery," said the Doctor.

"I see. We will have to assume that the Third Child might be the reason for the deviation from the scenario. Do you understand what this means, Doctor?" asked Gendo.

"Yes Sir; the Third Child will have to be eliminated," Ritsuko replied, a shrewish smirk blossoming on her face like a putrid flower.

From underneath the bed, Rei's eyes widened. They were going to kill Shinji. As her mind processed these words, Fuyutsuki spoke up.

"You can't be serious, Ikari; the Third Child is the only one who can work Unit-01."

"The Third Child is no longer necessary and has outlived his usefulness to us. We have the Dummy Plug," Gendo shot back, a smirk of his own taking form.

"I thought the Dummy Plug was rejected by Unit 01 and deemed inoperable," protested Fuyutsuki.

"I have solved the problem. We are now using Shinji's brainwaves as the core of the Dummy Plug instead of Rei's. The preliminary tests were a success and I am confident that we can now use Unit-01 by remote," Akagi countered with a sound of triumph in her voice.

Fuyutsuki stood there in silence as he realized that Gendo was dead set on committing this act. The wizened old man also realized that he was powerless to do anything about it.

"When do you want me to proceed with the termination?" asked Ritsuko, as she looked at Gendo.

"During the joint exercise with Units-00, 02, 03, and 04 in three days; that way the Major and the other Children will be distracted. Make sure to come up with a plausible reason for the Third Child's death so we can appease the Major and not arouse any suspicion." As soon as Commander Ikari finished that sentence, he proceeded to turn around and walk out of the room with Fuyutsuki in tow. Ritsuko lingered behind for a while and stared at the boy for a few minutes before she too headed towards the doorway.

"Enjoy your last few days at life, Shinji," cackled the women before she walked out, shutting the door behind her.

Rei got up from under the bed with tears forming in her eyes. With her head lowered, she contemplated on what she just heard and what she was going to do about it. After a few minutes of thinking, Rei raised her head with renewed confidence and stared at Shinji's comatose form.

"I will not let you die, Shinji Ikari. You are the light of my life, and I will protect you with all of mine," Rei whispered, determination written both in her voice and on her face. The girl knew that she only had three days to come up with some sort of plan to save Shinji.

Rei also knew that she would need help if she were to succeed.

Author's Note: Here it is chapter 13. I offer no excuses about the long delay and assure my readers that chapter 14 will be up soon since I have started it. A Huge thanks to Sideris and Lone Wulffe for the pre-read, you guys are awesome.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Rei sat in the plug as it was inserted into Unit 01. It was currently in the middle of the night in Tokyo 03 and most of NERV was empty. The active watch officer had given the blue haired girl permission to do what she needed to do with Unit 01. It was known that Rei was the favorite of the Commander and was given a lot of freedom and access to NERV's facilities. Thus the officer didn't give it a second thought when he let Rei do what she wanted to do.

It had been two days since she heard the conversation in Shinji's hospital room and Rei been working hard on a plan to escape NERV with Shinji. She had installed the programs needed for her plan into the MAGI and had arranged some financial support in an off shore account that was only accessible by her alone. Rei had worked on all this by herself and did not trust anyone else at NERV. She had considered going to Misato and Kaji for help but dismissed it because of the possibility of Kaji not being around for much longer and Misato's friendship with Doctor Akagi.

Everything was almost ready for her to make her move. Only one more element was needed and that was Unit 01's cooperation. Previous attempts by NERV to start up Unit 01 by using Rei were failures. The Eva would either refuse to synchronize or reject the start up commands. Even the Dummy plug was rejected and Rei knew why. She knew that it was Yui Ikari's soul that inhabited Unit 01. She also knew that the Eva would only accept Shinji as its pilot. Rei concluded that Yui had sided with her son and not her husband. Rei was glad of this. She now needed Yui's support.

When the plug was inserted, Rei switched off all external communications so that she was not heard by outside forces. Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, Rei concentrated her thoughts and began to speak.

"I know that you are there. I also know that you are the reason why I am unable to pilot Unit 01. So I am now here to ask for your help."

There was silence in the plug as Rei waited for a reaction. Getting none, she started talking again.

"They are going to kill Shinji. Both Commander Ikari and Doctor Akagi think he is an Angel. I cannot let this happen."

Tears started forming in her eyes. "I know that you don't trust me, seeing how you refuse to start for me, but I have this plan to save your son and I need your help."

There was still no response from the Eva and Rei was starting to give up hope. "Please help me" she whispered. "I love him."

A blinding light suddenly appeared within the Eva and Rei felt an excruciating pain in her head. She felt an outside presence invading her mind, digging its way through her memories and thoughts. Images appeared in her mind; her meetings with Shinji, her plans and actions as of late, the conversation that was heard between Commander Ikari and Dr. Akagi, and her feelings for Shinji. The light then faded and the presence that had invaded her mind was now gone.

Rei sat there for several minutes, breathing hard as the effects of the intrusion was fading. Deciding that she needed to leave, Rei was about to pull the latch which would eject the plug from Unit 01 when a voice suddenly began to speak within her mind.

"_When you are ready to make your move, I will be there to help" _said the voice. It was a women's voice and Rei instantly knew who it was.

"Thank you Yui" said Rei, a smile appearing on her face as she pulled the latch; ejecting the plug from the Eva. Stepping out of the plug, Rei dropped her smile and returned to her normal expressionless look as she prepared to initiate the next part of her plan.

Leaving the Eva cages, Rei walked along the hall until she arrived at the stairs. Knowing that there were no security cameras watching her, Rei stood at the edge of the stairwell and took in a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she stepped forward and fell down the steps. Making sure to scream as she fell, Rei then landed on the bottom and heard a crack coming from her right leg. Pain suddenly appeared and Rei smiled in difficulty as she saw that her right leg was now broken. Closing her eyes, Rei concentrated on the actions her S2 organ, making sure that the leg wouldn't heal until she wanted it to be healed.

Hearing voices getting close, Rei once again dropped her smile and replaced it with an expression of being in extreme pain. A pair of Section 2 agents ran to her and one of them asked "Ms Ayanami, are you alright?"

"It hurts" cried Rei, putting as much effort as she can into her voice.

The agent reached for his walkie-talkie and said "The First Child is injured. Send medical assistance immediately."

A few minutes later, a doctor and nurse appeared wheeling a gurney. The Agents lifted Rei up and placed her on gurney which was then wheeled away by the medical personnel. It took a great amount of effort on the part of Rei not to smile.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

"How did this happen, Rei?" asked Commander Ikari, staring at the blue-haired girl. Rei's leg was now in a cast because of her injury.

"I was on my way from the Eva Cages when I lost my balance and fell down the stairs Sir." answered Rei, making sure to add a certain amount pain to her expression.

"Why were you in the Eva Cages?" asked Gendo, an eyebrow rising.

"I could not sleep, so I thought that I would work on syncing with Unit 01." said Rei.

"In the middle of the night and by yourself?" said Gendo with a sound of surprise appearing in his voice.

"Yes Sir"

"Why" asked Commander Ikari, curious.

"With the lack of Angel attacks, I felt that my usefulness was threatened. I also know that you are not pleased with me not being able to start Unit 01. I thought that if I was able to start up Unit 01, I would become useful again." Rei hated lying to him. However, she had to come up with something that would satisfy the Commander or he would get suspicious.

His features softening, Gendo was pleased at the girl's need to be useful to him. It assured him that he still had control over her. "You are still needed Rei. As long as you obey my orders, your usefulness will not be an issue."

"Understood Sir. Will I still be attending the exercise tomorrow?" asked Rei, smiling inwardly at her little manipulation.

"No, your injury is too severe to properly function your Eva. You will stay here in the hospital wing until you are better." answered Gendo as he turned to leave the room. Opening the door, he stepped outside to an awaiting Ritsuko.

"Why hasn't her S2 organ healed her by now?" asked Gendo with a tone of irritation in his voice.

"I do not know. Shall I perform tests to find out?" asked the blond Doctor.

"Wait until after tomorrow. I want to remain on schedule." answered Gendo.

"Understood Sir. I am ready to eliminate the Third Child half-way through the exercise." said Ritsuko.

"Very well, proceed when ready." With that said, Commander Ikari left for his office. Ritsuko then headed for the opposite direction. Rei lay on the bed, going over what she heard. She now knew when to act and was ready.

Everything was going according to plan.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay, but KOTOR 2 and God of War as well as work have been consuming my time. I am working on Chapter 15 of this fic and am a 3rd of the way through. This will be the big one people. I like to thank all the people who have stuck with this fic. You guys are awesome. Also, a big thanks to **Sideris **for the pre-read.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Rei lay awake on the bed. It was around 1:00 in the afternoon and the exercise was almost into its halfway point. She had slept for only a few hours so that she could spend some time with Shinji. She had told him nothing of what was to transpire and tried to act like nothing was going on. Rei did not know how successful she was and prayed that he would be alright. She knew that it would be awhile until she was with him again.

Deciding that it was time to act, Rei sat up and looked to her broken leg. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the leg until it started to heal. When it was healed, Rei stood up and dressed. Proceeding to the door, Rei suddenly realized that this was her last time she would be in this room. Every time she was injured, she was always brought to this room and it held a sort of significance to her. Rei remembered all the times that Shinji had visited her and her heart warmed at those memories. Opening the door, she walked out and left the room; never to visit it again.

Walking down the hall, Rei headed straight for Shinji's room. As she walked quickly, Rei made sure to scan the area around her so that she would not be spotted by anyone. She also knew that the security cameras were offline due to Doctor Akagi's plan to murder Shinji. Apparently, Ritsuko wanted to make sure that the death would not lead back to her.

As she approached the door to Shinji's room, Rei heard a voice emanating from within the room. She recognized it as Doctor Akagi's and with her hand on the doorknob; Rei listened to what the voice was saying.

"A few months ago, the idea of me doing this was inconceivable. However, a lot has changed since you fell into this state. I have always been in my mother's shadow. _Her_ MAGI is her major accomplishment in this organization. The Dummy Plug was supposed to be mine. Instead, it doesn't work because Unit 01 will only respond for _you_. All my work and effort… wasted because of a fourteen year old child. Does Gendo blame Unit 01, you, or even Rei for this? No, he blames _me_. What's worse is that he no longer comes to my bed at night. Well, I am about to solve a part of my problem in a few seconds. I am really not sure if my plan for controlling Unit 01 will work or not. But, at least I will not have to worry about you any longer."

Rei was angry at the woman's words. Akagi was doing this out of simple jealously and it sickened the blue-haired girl. Rei then opened the door and a startled Ritsuko stopped what she was doing, turning her head at Rei. A syringe was in her hand, which was near Shinji's left arm.

"What are you doing here?" asked Ritsuko, still startled at the girl's intrusion and glare.

Rei ignored the doctor and continued to glare at her. There was silence for a few minutes until Ritsuko, syringe in hand, started to make her way towards Rei. "I will ask again Rei, why are you here?"

Rei looked at the women and then uttered "You disgust me."

"What did you say?" Akagi hissed, eyes narrowing and a frown marring her face.

"I said you disgust me. You are nothing but a jealous bitch who seeks her own glory. You are also a whore who foolishly desires a man that would throw you away like garbage without a second thought. You are pathetic," said Rei, continuing to glare at the Doctor.

"You bitch!" yelled Ritsuko, slapping Rei across the face. "You are nothing but a tool for us to use! You dare to lecture me, Doll!"

Rei looked back at the blond woman and shot back angrily, "I… AM… NOT… A… DOLL!" She then backhanded Doctor Akagi, knocking her to the ground.

Ritsuko screamed with rage and lunged at the girl. They both tumbled to the ground and began rolling around, scratching and biting each other. Finally after a few minutes of fighting, Akagi gained the upper hand and was on top of the girl with her hands around Rei's throat, choking the life out of her. Rei tried fighting her off but was unsuccessful. As she began to see red, Rei turned her head and spotted the syringe that the woman had held earlier. Reaching out, Rei grabbed the needle and plunged it into the side of Ritsuko's neck. Rei then pressed in the top of the syringe and the liquid within the needle flowed into Akagi. Ritsuko then released Rei and fell to the ground, clutching her neck as she did so.

Rei, breathing hard, sat up and watched as Doctor Akagi jerked violently on the ground. Shaking her head out of pity, the blue-haired girl stood up and approached Shinji's bed. Placing the IV on the bed, she began to disconnect all the equipment from Shinji. When she was done, Rei wheeled the bed out of the room with Shinji's silent form in it. Before she shut the door, Rei looked back at Ritsuko's body, lying motionless on the ground. She was sure that the Doctor was dead, but then decided that she didn't care.

Rei wheeled the bed down the empty hall. Nearing a corner, Rei peeked around it and found the nurse's station empty. In fact, the entire hospital section was devoid of life. It had seemed that Doctor Akagi was very thorough in her cover up. An empty hospital meant no witnesses.

Rei continued wheeling until she was in front of the nurse's desk. Leaving the bed where it was, she walked up to the terminal and began to type in a few keys. Rei smiled as she brought up a command menu of a special program that was secretly installed by her in the MAGI. Using Naoko's codes and backdoor procedures she had learned from the Doctor's notes, Rei had created a program that would shut down NERV, but would leave a very specific path open for her to reach Unit 01's cage. All access to that path would be closed off and Unit 01's cage would be sealed off. With NERV shut down, Rei would not have to worry about any security cameras. Also, any security personnel would be sealed off as well, since her program also closed and sealed all doors within the base; especially the Command Center. As soon as Rei brought up the menu, she typed in the command sequence she needed, which initiated her program. Then the terminal in front of her went dead and the lights went out. Smiling, Rei went back to the bed and continued on her way. Halfway to her destination, Rei found her backpack she had left in the spot earlier and placed it on the bed.

As she wheeled the bed through the base, Rei heard the shouts and banging from personnel who were stuck behind the sealed doors. Ignoring them, she continued unhindered until she suddenly stopped in front of Eva Unit 01's cage. The door was open, but in front of it stood a Section 2 agent. Rei suddenly panicked and reached into her pack as the agent approached her.

"Miss Ayanami, why are you here? And why is the Third Child with you?" asked the agent, as he stopped in front her and the comatose Shinji.

"Why are you here?" asked Rei a little nervously as she felt around in her pack, trying to find what she was looking for.

"I was cut off and sealed because of the doors sealing. Now I will ask you again; why are you…?"

The guard never finished his sentence as Rei suddenly pulled a stun gun from her pack and fired it at the agent. The wires hit the man and he collapsed on the floor. Rei then walked quickly up to the body and relieved the agent of his gun and walkie-talkie. She also found a cell on the man and decided to take it as well. Placing the items in her pack, Rei wheeled the bed into the cage.

As soon as she was in front of the Entry plug, Rei opened the hatch and tossed her pack inside. She then walked over to Shinji and using what strength she had, picked up the boy and placed him inside the plug behind the pilot's seat. Taking one last look around, Rei took a deep breath and let it out. She then entered the plug and closed the hatch behind her. Sitting in the pilot seat, the blue haired girl pulled the latch above her and the plug was then inserted into the Eva and filled with LCL.

Closing her eyes, Rei focused her thoughts and began to speak. "I am ready. Allow me to pilot and leave this place."

There was a sudden intrusion into her mind and a familiar voice then said "_Very well. However, I know you are planning to use your S2 organ as a power source. This will be very taxing to your body so be careful; you are responsible for two lives."_

"I will. Please have faith in me." said Rei.

"_I do… because my son does." _The presence was then gone, leaving Rei to her work.

Rei closed her eyes and activated her AT field. Her eyes began to glow red as she gripped the handles. Feeling that she was now synchronized with the Eva, Rei activated the internal camera and began to move Unit 01. She then maneuvered the Eva towards the catapult which led to the surface. Standing on the catapult, Rei was about to have Unit 01 start climbing when the communication screen suddenly came up and Commander Ikari's face appeared. Rage and shock twisted his usually stone-cold features.

"What are you doing Rei?" demanded the man loudly.

Gathering her courage and dropping her usual emotionless mask, Rei calmly replied, "Leaving you, you heartless bastard."

Gendo's eyes widened and his shock overcame his rage for a few minutes. Then a look of fury appeared and he roared, "What did you say!"

"You heard me. I am leaving and taking Shinji with me. I will not let you murder him as Doctor Akagi just tried to do. Goodbye, Commander." With that said and done, Rei killed the communication line. Unit 01 climbed the long junction until she reached the top. The hatch was closed, but that could easily be remedied. With one hand still gripping the side of the shaft, Unit 01 began to punch the hatch until the fist made a hole right through the metal. Unit 01 ripped the metal until there was room enough to climb through. When it was on the surface, Unit 01 turned to see Unit 04 right in front of it.

The two Eva's took no action as they faced each other. Rei was considering her options on what to do. Any fight between her and Unit 04 would only delay her escape as well as buy time for Unit's 03 and 02 to arrive. The communication line suddenly activated and Rei was then faced with the smiling face of Kaworu Nagisa.

"Going somewhere?" asked the gray haired boy with a pleasant tone in his voice.

Rei remained silent. She was still considering her options.

"Hmm, I have been ordered to disable you by the Commander. However, I don't believe I will follow that order. Do not worry; I will not deter you any further. However, I suggest that you hurry and leave; I will prevent the others from following you," Kaworu continued, still keeping the smile on his voice.

Sensing no deceit in the boy's words, Rei took the opportunity offered to her by the pilot of Unit 04 and started to walk right past the Eva. As Unit 01 passed by the other Eva, Rei asked "Why are you doing this for us?"

Still smiling, Nagisa replied, "I have my reasons."

"Thank you, I appreciate this," whispered Rei, maneuvering the Eva to walk faster.

"It is no problem. We will see each other again; but hopefully under better circumstances. I always wanted to try a threesome," the boy stated before he killed the link.

Rei was confused by what the last line meant but decided to focus on the task at hand. Unit 01 then broke in a run until it reached the ocean. The Eva then jumped into the ocean and disappeared from NERV's sensors by the time Unit's 02 and 03 arrived.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

On a hill overlooking Tokyo 03, two men stood and watched the whole incident unfold. As they watched the gathering of the Eva's, one of the men turned to the other.

"Sir, what was that all about?" asked the man in the US army uniform.

"I have no idea. However, I don't believe that either NERV, SEELE or the McGregor's planned on this happening. I think this will please the General very much. Let's report in."

"Yes, Sir." With that, both men walked over to the US Army jeep parked nearby and sped off to destinations unknown.

Author's Note: Well I hope you guys liked this chapter. I am not sure when the next one will be up but hopefully it will be soon. I plan to update "Vengeance and Redemption" next, which should be up soon.

A Huge Thanks To Lone Wulffe and Sideris for the Pre-Reads. Thanks Guys, you both are awesome.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Rei Ayanami walked out of the grocery store carrying a bag full of food. It was late in the afternoon and it was just starting to get dark. Scanning the street around her, she walked down the sidewalk in order to head to her and Shinji's temporary home.

As she walked, Rei passed many people who gave the girl polite nods. She smiled and nodded back to them. There was very little if no hostility encountered by Rei since she had arrived in the small Alaskan town of Shransville. Created after Second Impact, the town was a center for refugees. It was quiet and had very little crime.

When Rei had first arrived two weeks after her escape from Tokyo 03, she hid Unit 01, with Shinji still inside, in a hidden cove and proceeded into town. Once arriving, Rei went straight to the Bank, which Rei had transferred funds to, and made a withdrawal. Then, in the same day, bought a small house and stocked it the materials needed to support her and Shinji. The act created very little suspicion since Rei had covered her tracks very well and that the town was isolated from the rest of the world.

Besides using a false name and creating a past, Rei had done something that she would never have thought of doing; she had changed her appearance in such a way that if anyone who knew her would view the girl, they would not believe their eyes. Rei had bought hair dye and used it in the shower. When she finished and stepped out of the shower, Rei examined her new red hair. Deciding that it was too short, Rei closed her eyes and used her AT field to manipulate her body. Her hair grew longer and now reached below her shoulders. Next, Rei opened up a box containing blue contact lens. Placing them in her eyelids, she looked in the mirror and saw her new blue eyes staring back at her. Rei had now an entirely new look that should be able to keep her hidden; at least she hoped.

As Rei approached her house, she stopped and admired the color of the small two-bedroom house. It was a mixture of blue and purple. Anyone else would have found the mixture quite ugly, but Rei found it quite nice. Walking up the porch, Rei reached into her pant's pocket and pulled out her house keys.

Wardrobe was another change that Rei had initiated in order to disguise herself. She wore blue jeans and short-sleeved colored t-shirts. It made her appear very sexy and stylish. The jeans made legs seem longer and thinner while the shirt brought out her breasts. Rei was the spitting image of a pre-impact American teenager.

Turning the key within the lock, Rei opened the door and stepped inside. The setup of the house was very simple. Rei wasn't interested in interior decorating and so the house lacked any luxuries that Rei did not need. She did have a very good computer and media setup, but that was for keeping tabs on her and Shinji's enemies.

Rei had Shinji set up in the room in back of the house. She had purchased medical supplies so that Shinji could be taken care of. Most of the stuff Rei needed was acquired from the local drug store. The rest of the materials had been bought from the black market. Rei had spent a great deal of money purchasing the items. However, she was in no risk of running out. Rei had completely cleaned out Gendo Ikari's private bank accounts. Gendo Ikari was privately a very rich man. He had millions in Yen, Dollars, and Euros in secret accounts unknown to anyone else but him. However, when Gendo had setup the accounts; he did so with Rei close by. She knew his passwords and the locations of the accounts. So when Rei left NERV, she took Gendo's money with her.

Rei put the groceries on the table and headed to Shinji's room in order to check up on him. He was still sleeping peacefully. A week after the escape from Tokyo 03, Rei had briefed Shinji on their current status. He had taken the news pretty hard and could not understand why his own father had ordered his death. Rei had done her best to console him, but Shinji was deeply troubled. Rei found it surprising that her new outward appearance had not crossed over to her dream world with Shinji. Her only guess to why that was because dreams show truth. Her true self would always be shown no matter how much alterations are applied.

Rei turned from Shinji's room and walked to the bathroom. Once inside, she stripped her clothing and turned on the shower. The water caressed her skin which felt good upon her body. As she stood in the shower, Rei thought back to the news story that she had seen on the TV. Apparently an Angel had attacked the German Branch of NERV. Most of the facility had been destroyed before the Angel had been driven off by three MP Eva's. Rei did not understand why the Angel would attack the German Branch let alone retreat. The Angels never retreated. They attacked until they were destroyed. Rei also did not understand why her theft of Unit 01 and escape from NERV was in the general media. Rei knew that Unit 01 was prized by Commander Ikari and SEELE and she also knew that the men would Heaven and Hell to get it back. However, there was no word about the theft from anywhere in the media; that made Rei very suspicious.

Turning the shower off, Rei stepped out of the bathtub and dried herself off. Slipping on some skimpy shorts and a very short sleeved shirt, she walked into the kitchen to have something to eat. Though Rei tried to change much of herself on the outside as much as she could, she still lacked the culinary skills to cook with. Thus, Rei was forced to rely on instant ramen as a food source. Rei also still hated to eat meat, so the instant ramen of choice today was vegetarian. After heating up the ramen, Rei walked into the front room and sat on the couch. Turning on the television, Rei flipped thru the channels until she reached her favorite one; The Weather Channel.

Rei would spend countless hours watching the channel. She found the station fascinating. Though predicting weather was no longer possible since Second Impact, the channel did still have up to date weather conditions for most of the world. Rei liked seeing what things were like around the world. Though it saddened her about the reports of devastation by tornados, hurricanes, and flash floods; she liked watching the images of beautiful weather conditions at parks and forests. The images of life and beauty filled Rei's heart with warmth.

After finishing her food, Rei threw the empty ramen cup in the trash and went into Shinji's room. Pulling up a chair next to the bed, Rei laid her head on Shinji's chest and fell asleep.

………………………………………………………………………………….

Rei walked down the halls of NERV looking for her beloved Shinji. Feeling that she was moving in the right direction, Rei stepped up her pace. Feeling that it would be better for his psyche, Rei asked Shinji to remain in the less damaged section of NERV. Shinji complied and took up residence in a small room deep within the facility. It had a small bed and a good stock of books to read. Rei had suggested the room but never told Shinji that it was where Commander Ikari lived. Feeling that she would find Shinji there, Rei approached the room.

Opening the door, Rei found Shinji reading a copy of "Crest of the Stars" by Morioka Hiroyuki. Shinji seemed to be focused on the novel and thus did not notice Rei entering the room. Rei stood their watching the boy, not making a sound. She smiled; Shinji seemed to be at peace for the first time since he had entered his condition. After a few minutes of silence, Shinji looked up from his book and smiled at Rei.

"Hi Rei" said the boy. He put his book down as Rei walked over to him. She leaned down and their lips met. After a few seconds, Rei broke the kiss and sat down on the bed with him. Shinji made a motion and Rei leaned up against the front of him while wrapping his arms around her.

"How was your day?" asked Shinji.

"It was well; yourself?" said Rei.

"Same old thing everyday; read and sleep. It's not that bad not having to use the restroom or eat. But, I do miss food" answered Shinji, a small frown coming to his face. There was silence for a few minutes as the two children took comfort in each others presence.

After a little time went by, Shinji made a sigh. Rei frowned at this and looked up at him. She had a feeling that Shinji was about to bring up something that Rei did not want to talk about. She did not want this peaceful moment to end.

"Rei, how long is this going to go on?" asked the boy, a tone of seriousness to his voice.

"What do you mean?" asked Rei, knowing full well what he was talking about.

"This condition of mine; we are no closer to finding out why I am here and can't wake up. I don't want this to go on forever" said Shinji.

"We will find the answers. We just have to be patient" said Rei with assurance in her voice.

"I wish I could have your faith Rei. But, I am starting to think that me dieing would be a good thing" said the boy, staring off into a distance.

Shinji suddenly felt a blow to his face which brought his out of his trance. Clutching his red cheek, he was now looking at an angry Rei. Shinji was dumbfounded since the girl had not slapped him since before the attack of the Fifth Angel; when Shinji had insulted his father.

"Don't say that" said Rei, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't ever say that again."

"I am sorry Rei. I just don't want to be a burden to you. You are now finally free of NERV and my father. You should be happy without having to keep worrying about me" said Shinji, rubbing his cheek.

Rei slapped him again; this time across the other cheek. "You are not a burden to me Shinji Ikari. I love you. We will always be together no matter what. If you die…I die. It is simple as that. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Rei; I just want you to be happy" said the boy, his voice dropping low.

Rei leaned over and place her lips against his. After a few seconds, she removed her lips but placed her forehead against his while keeping her eyes closed.

"I am happy. I am here with you and that is all that matters. If the only way we could be together this way, then so be it" said Rei in a whisper that only he could hear.

"Understood Rei" said Shinji. The two teens then continued their kissing. Over time, their actions became bolder as their hands began to explore one another. After time went by, Rei looked into Shinji's eyes.

"Shinji?" said Rei in a hushed whisper.

"Yes?"

"Make love to me"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't you want to?"

"I just don't want to hurt you"

"You won't"

"Very well; I love you Rei Ayanami" said Shinji, laying Rei on her back.

"And I love you Shinji Ikari" said Rei back at Shinji.

The two teen's relationship grew stronger as they made love. Both knew now that they could not exist without each other.

………………………………………………………………………………

Rei woke up as the sun poured through the shades covering the window. Taking her head off of Shinji's chest, Rei remained sitting as she yawned and stretched her arms out. She felt really happy. What she and Shinji did was beautiful in Rei's opinion. There was no pain since it was only in Rei's dream but it felt real to her none the less. Standing up, Rei felt dampness below her stomach. She was confused to what it was until it occurred to her. Blushing, Rei decided that it was a good idea to take a morning shower.

…………………………………………………………………………………..

Across the street, a man sat watching Rei's house with binoculars. He had watched the residence for most of the night for sighs of activity. Next to him was surveillance equipment which was very advance. Putting the binoculars down, the man picked up a cup of coffee and sipped it. He was dressed in military camouflage which he and his colleagues only wore inside the house.

As the man made a move to pick up the binoculars again, the door to the room opened and an older man, dressed in more casual clothes, stepped in. The soldier stood up and saluted the older man, surprised at his arrival.

"General; Sir, I did not know you were coming" said the soldier.

"Recent events have forced me to come. What is the current status of the subjects Captain?" asked the General, looking out the window at the house.

"Nothing much going on during the night. According to the infrared scans, Miss Ayanami once again slept in the boy's room. There was an increase in her body temp throughout the night according to the thermal scans, but she appears to be fine." said the Captain.

"Any other signs of surveillance from the SEELE, NERV, or the McGregor's?" asked the General.

"No Sir. We are the only ones who know that the children are here. I have to admit, the girl is good. It was only through sheer coincidence that we found her" answered the soldier.

"Hmm…What is she doing now?" asked the General.

The Captain looked at the laptop computer which sat on the table next to the window. Pressing a few keys, the Captain looked up from the screen and answered "Taking a shower Sir."

"Very well Captain. Let me know when she is finished. It is time me and Miss Ayanami met and talked" said the General with a light tone.

"Sir? Why now? I thought we were going to wait a little while longer before we made our move?" said the man, surprised.

"The situations changed. You've seen the news. The McGregor's are starting make their move against SEELE. Once they are finished with them, it is only a matter of time before they move against the rest of the world. We need the girl and Unit 01" said the man with extreme seriousness in his voice.

"Do you think she will help us, Sir?" asked the Captain.

"I believe she might. We do have a common enemy. Plus, we might be able to help the boy. She would be appreciative of that." With that said the General turned from the window and walked out of the room.

Author's Note: It's been a God awful long time since I've updated this fic. My apologies to everyone, but I had no idea where to go with this after chapter 15. There will be some changes from here on out; all future chapters will try to focus on Shinji&Rei. Also, I will finally reveal what is going on with Shinji and his condition in the next couple of chapters. As for this chapter, I know it's a little sappy and I am sorry for it. I am trying to get better. Until next time People and thanks for sticking with me.

A huge thanks to Sideris and Lone Wulffe for the pre-read.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Rei walked out the shower, much cleaner than when she went in. After drying herself off, she went into her bedroom to get dressed. After slipping on a pair of green panties with a matching bra, Rei put on a pair of blue sweat pants and a white tank top. She had taken up jogging as part of her disguise. Hiding in plain sight was her goal.

After slipping on some shoes, Rei walked into Shinji's room to check up on him. Seeing no change, she changed his IV and then proceeded to change his clothes. After she was finished, Rei leaned down and kissed Shinji on the forehead. She smiled, and gently stroked his hair for a moment. She hoped that she would be able to do this with him awake soon. She let out a sigh as she walked out of the room and headed to the front door.

Opening the front door, Rei was surprised to find a man on her doorstep. He stood there as if he knew that she was about to open the door.

"Can I help you?" Rei asked as she studied the man. He was a Caucasian, approximately in his sixties. He was dressed in a pair of blue slacks, wore a grey jacket, and a hat that had an emblem of an Eagle on it.

"Yes you can, Miss Ayanami" the man answered with a smile. Reis eyes widened in alarm and was about to slam the door in order to find a weapon when the man suddenly spoke.

"Do not worry; I am not from NERV nor am I your enemy. If you let me inside, I can explain," said the man. Rei pondered the man's words. She still did not trust him but her instincts told her that he was an ally. Opening the door wider, Rei let the man inside and then closed the door. Motioning to the couch, he took a seat as Rei sat opposite of him.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"My name is General Theodore Xavier of the United States Army. Have you heard of me?" asked the General.

"The Ghost of Patton?" asked Rei, the name ringing a bell in her mind.

"Yes; some call me that. How much do you know about me?"

"That you are a General that is not afraid to do what is needed in order to win but, will not endanger civilians. That you personally led troops on the front lines despite your rank; that you lead the African campaign for the UN seven years after 2nd Impact against a dictator willing to commit genocide. You also testified against a group of corrupt UN officers and were responsible for them being executed. After the trial, you were nearly killed in an accident and then disappeared with your family," Rei answered, speaking from memory.

"That was no accident," General Xavier grimly corrected. "It was an assassination attempt. As for the disappearing act, my friends thought that it would be safe for me to hide away for a while. I made many enemies during that trial. I also needed to work without being watched."

"What do you mean?" asked Rei, somewhat intrigued.

"Before the trial, I found out some things that made me a target. I take it that you know who SEELE is?" he asked, in which Rei nodded in affirmation. "I also take it that you know their plans asked the General again.

"They are the same as Commander Ikari's; Instrumentality."

"Correct. For the last few years, my allies and I have been trying to find ways of bringing those plans to a halt. Working out of a secret base and through contacts, I have been tracking SEELE's agents and minions within various national governments in order to expose them. However, SEELE has a lot of power within the UN and that has made things very difficult for me. That is until recently."

"What do you mean?"

"A new faction has made their move." Rei was curious to what the officer meant. The Commander had always hinted that SEELE was the only major power in the world with all the other nations as their puppets. She could not understand where this new faction had emerged from.

"Let me explain. Have you ever heard of the McGregor family?" asked Xavier. Rei had to think for a few seconds, the name was familiar.

"They run a powerful corporation out of Ireland," she answered after a moment.

"That is correct. The owner of the company is a man named Sean McGregor. He is also SEELE 07. Recently, both he and his sister Rachel, who is a scientist within the company, have been plotting behind SEELE's back. The old man, their father Patrick McGregor, used to run the company as well as holding the SEELE position. However, the son and daughter had the man bumped off and took over everything so they could initiate their plot."

"Plotting what?"

"To take power and rule the world using the Angels," General Xavier grimly replied.

"How is that possible?" Rei asked incredulously. The Generals comments sounded too absurd to be true.

"I don't know but, you've seen the recent attacks by the Angels. The McGregor's have been the ones initiating them. Sean McGregor is now making his move against SEELE. During the recent attack against the German Branch of NERV, a good portion of the SEELE Council was killed. Keel, from what I heard, is in hiding. Gendo Ikari is preparing for an attack with Evas 02, 03, and 04," he explained. "That is why I come to you, Miss Ayanami. I need your help." Rei stared at the man, unable to respond. The man also seemed to be pleading with her.

After thinking about it Rei asked, "What do you need me for?"

"To fight against SEELE, NERV, and the Angels; I need an Eva. I know where Unit 01 is but I have no pilot for it," answered the man.

"You are asking me to fight for you," Rei bluntly pointed out.

"I am asking you for your help," said Xavier. Rei sat there contemplating the man's words. So far she had planned on staying hidden and out on the sidelines. However, from what General Xavier has told her, hiding is no longer possible. Rei was about to make a few demands when the Military officers words interrupted her.

"If you help me, I can help you with your friend's current condition," said the man.

"What do you mean?" Rei snapped. With if Shinji was involved, she wouldn't allow any harm come to him.

"Somehow he is a main factor in all of this. The McGregor's wanted him dead and used NERV to try to kill him. I want to know why."

"How do I know that you will not have him killed?" The General got up and walked over to Rei.

Getting down onto one knee, he looked into Reis eyes and said, "On my word of honour, I will allow no harm to come to him." Rei stared into his eyes and found herself, able to believe him. She could not solve Shinji's condition on her own and did need help. Plus even if she did find a way to wake Shinji up, they could not hope to hide from NERV forever. Rei needed allies and this man was offering his friendship to her.

"I will help you," said Rei. General Xavier smiled and got up. He walked over to the chair and sat down again.

"I have a plane ready to take us to our destination. I propose that we leaver during the night though," said the man.

"I understand," was all she said. It was simple; to avoid drawing attention to herself, Shinji and the General when they moved. Also the lack of observation satellites over the region during the night made it an ideal time to transport Unit 01.

"I am curious, how you found me?" asked Rei.

"By accident really; even though you're little escape from Tokyo 3 was kept secret from the rest of the world, every intelligence agency under NERV's and SEELE's payroll were looking everywhere for you. One of my men, who was on a much needed vacation, spotted you about a week ago."

"How did he recognize me?" asked Rei, a little hurt because she thought that her disguise was perfect.

"The man was a part of the team I had assigned to find you. Before he left for his vacation, he thought up a number of disguises that even though completely out of character for you, would be perfect for hiding. By luck, you picked his third choice," Xavier explained, smiling.

"I see; you have some clever men working for you," Rei commented.

"It helps me be one step ahead of SEELE," said the General. The two of them talked for a while longer, getting to know one another. To Rei's surprise, the military officer knew what she was and was not bothered by it. He told her that he admired her for saving the boy that she loved and rebelling against her creator.

"It doesn't matter what you are but only how you live," said General Xavier. After a couple of hours had gone by, the duo was starting to get hungry in which Rei offered the man some food. The man grew disgusted at the thought of instant ramen and had another idea instead.

"How about we go to the store and get some real food so I can make us something? I happen to be great in the kitchen," the man offered with a smile.

"I would like that but I do not eat meat," said Rei.

"Not a problem; one of my granddaughters is a vegan."

"Then I would like that," said Rei, smiling back at the man.

"Excellent; let's go then," said the General. The pair walked out of the house and to the store. There, the General picked up some pasta and tomato sauce while Rei got some vegetables for a salad. After they were done, they walked back to the house where the military man cooked for them.

Later, Rei would tell Shinji that it was one of the best meals that she had ever eaten. Shinji later agreed with her after sampling the man's food himself.

Huge thanks to Sideris and Marine Brother Shran for the pre-read.

Please R&R


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

The ship sailed through the water unhindered by the strong ocean current. The vessel was a massive super tanker primarily used for carrying oil. However, it had been recently converted into carrying a much larger object. The deck had been redesigned as a huge cargo door. When it was ready to unload, the bow of the ship would open up and the cargo could be unloaded. It was a custom job and kept secret from the outside world. As far as anyone was concerned, the ship still carried oil.

Rei Ayanami stood peering out at the vast ocean and took in the breeze. It was a clear day and the sun shown brightly. Rei did not care for the sun too much and stood in the shade on the balcony just outside of the bridge. She loved water and found the view of it relaxing.

She had been at sea for over a week now, traveling with the General and his men. They were currently on route to his base and Unit 01 was safely in the cargo hold. Loading it had not been a problem with Rei helping out.

Before Xavier's men had touched the massive weapon, Rei had entered the plug to let Yui know of the current agenda and events. Yui understood the situation and promised to help Rei in the future when piloting it was required.

The ship had a very small living area that could only accommodate fifteen people. Rei shared a cabin with one of the Generals officers. A female Major named Celeste Hawk. The woman was a blonde and seem quite bubbly, but was very competent with her job. The woman treated Rei like she was family and the two became friends in a short matter of time.

Rei had gotten to know the entire crew of the ship and was surprised to learn that they were all Special Forces. They looked to be quite good sailors and Rei would not have guessed that they were military. They were fiercely loyal to General Xavier and were prepared to do anything for him. This did not surprise Rei though since she had heard that the General inspired extreme loyalty in those who served under him.

Getting tired of the scenery, Rei turned around and walked back into the bridge. Inside, there were men on duty, all dressed in grey coveralls and other sailor garb. One man was at the helm, steering the ship while the other two were at the sonar and communications. All three men turned their heads to her and offered greetings. Rei smiled back and made her way past them through a door leading deeper into the ship.

Walking down the corridor, Rei passed a few more crewmen before arriving at her cabin. Opening the door, she saw that it was empty. Taking advantage of the silence, she sat down on her bunk and lay down. Closing her eyes, Rei fell asleep.

She once again found herself in the confines of NERV Headquarters. Walking down the hallway, Rei opened the door to Shinji's room and stepped inside. The boy was lying on his bed facing her but appeared to be asleep. She smiled and walked up to the bed, sitting down next to him. She reached out with her right hand and caressed his cheek. He moved slightly at her touch but remained asleep.

She smiled slightly as she continued to gently graze her hand over his face. She started to think how Shinji was like when she had informed him of the situation in comparison to now. When Rei had explained the current situation to Shinji, he was sceptical and asked Rei if General Xavier could be trusted. She said she did and Shinji had left it at that. Rei was happy because she knew that she had his trust.

When Rei informed Xavier that she was able to communicate with Shinji through her dreams, he was greatly surprised. She had told him everything and he was intrigued about the condition of NERV in the dream. When she described the various things she had seen, he recognized the description of the weird creatures on the crosses as to be SEELE's mass production Eva series.

To say Rei was surprised was an understatement. It only added to her confusion on Shinji's condition. What she thought was a simple twist of reality turned into much more. When she told Shinji what the General had said, he suggested that it was time to explore the outside in order to find answers. Rei was adamantly against the idea at first, but knew in the end that the boy was right. The General suggested though that exploration should wait until they reached their base in order to help Rei sleep more efficiently.

She sat their watching the teen as he slept. It was almost hard to believe that he has been sleeping for almost six months now. However, she felt a little guilty because she was almost happy that this happened to Shinji. If it hadn't, who knows where she would be now. Through Shinji's condition, she had learned to love and become independent from Gendo Ikari. She also has made friends and is working with them to bring down Gendo and SEELE.

Rei knew that she was nothing but a pawn to the Commander. She did not know exactly what his plans were, but she knew that it had something to do with her Angelic DNA and Adam. Rei also suspected that by the last Angel, she would be in her third incarnation. She did not know why she suspected but she had a gut instinct that was in the Commanders scenario.

Rei lied down and curled up behind him. Looking around the room, she noticed the large pile of books in the corner and the almost empty book shelf next to the pile. Shinji appeared to be running out of reading material. When they would begin their exploration of the outside, Rei thought it would be a good idea to get some more reading material. She didn't want Shinji to get bored.

Shinji suddenly let out a small sigh which jolted Rei out of her thoughts. Opening his eyes, he smiled as he felt Rei's presence from behind him. Grasping the hand in front of him, he squeezed gently and continued to hold.

"How long have you been here?" Shinji asked, not moving.

"For about ten minutes, I believe," answered Rei, staying where she was as well.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" asked Shinji with concern.

"You looked very peaceful as you slept and I did not wish to disturb you," she answered.

"You would have never disturbed me Rei, I have many opportunities to sleep but so few to spend time with you," Shinji responded.

"I know, however I enjoy watching you," said Rei with a smile. The two laid there in silence as they continued cuddle. They both felt so at peace and did not want this moment to end. After a few minutes, Shinji turned around to face Rei. He used his free hand to caress Reis cheek as she had done to him earlier. She closed her eyes and took in the gentle feel of his hand. As her eyes were closed, Shinji suddenly moved in and gave her a small peck on her lips. As he gave her another kiss, she kissed him back and the two made out with one another.

They continued to kiss for a few more minutes until finally Rei broke off and moved back. Shinji was slightly puzzled by this move which was evident on the boys face. Rei just offered a brief smile in response and squeezed his hand slightly.

"Do you want to…?" asked Shinji with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes I would, but I do not believe that is wise since I share my room with someone else," answered Rei with a small blush forming on her face.

The last time Rei and Shinji had tried to make love was a few days ago. Their love making was interrupted when Rei was suddenly jolted from her sleep by a very concerned Celeste who noticed the massive amount of sweat emanating from Rei's body as she slept. Rei had been embarrassed to explain what was going on, but Celeste figured it out when a familiar smell emerged from the teen. Both of them did not know what to say and left things unspoken. Since then, Rei decided not to let things go to far until she was guaranteed some privacy.

"I guess I understand; I just love you so much and I want to express it to you," said Shinji with a frown.

"I know; I wish too as well. We will have to wait my love," said Rei with a smile.

"Very well; how was your day?" asked the boy.

"It went well. I am enjoying the scenery of the ocean," answered Rei.

"I am glad; we will have to do a cruise when this is all over," said Shinji.

"I would like that. Perhaps we could sail the world," the blue-haired girl suggested.

"Yeah; just the two of us," agreed the boy. The two continued to talk about their future together, ignoring the events of the waking world. They talked about where they would visit and how they would get there. They also discussed what their careers would be. Shinji expressed his desire to become a chef while Rei was interested computers. It was a moment of happiness for them and nothing would stop them from realizing their dreams.

When it was all over and when everything was resolved, nothing did stop them.

Authors Note: New policy in future updates of this fic and Vengeance and Redemption, two chapters instead of one. So the next time I update VaR, you will get two chapters to read. I hope you like that.

Also, to answer a previous question asked in one of my reviews: Yes, Shrannsville was named after a R/S author whose works I greatly admire.

Next chapter, Rei arrives at the base and the exploration of Shinji's world begins.

Please R&R and thanks to Sideris and Marine Brother Shran for the pre-read.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Rei Ayanami walked down the quay which was connected to the dock. She was tired and felt chilled by the wind, sky overcast. Turning her head, she watched as the cranes lifted Unit 01 out of the cargo ship's hold and onto the cement ground near the ship. Rei noticed that the people moving the Eva seemed to be in a hurry as she watched uniformed soldiers scurry like ants. This puzzled her since the base seemed to be quite isolated from civilization.

General Xavier said that their current position was Greenland in an old NATO base in the north part of the territory. Apparently the General had allies in the Greenland Government which gave him the base to operate out of. Greenland's landmass was unaffected by the large scale destruction of the event and the population was the same as it was before the disaster. It was a largely ignored nation by the world when it became completely independent after 2nd Impact; making it the perfect base of operations to the General.

"Spy satellites" said a voice behind her. Rei turned around and to find Celeste standing behind her with a serious countenance.

"I'm sorry?" Rei said. She was little confused.

"We are hurrying because of spy satellites. Even though we are in a region that is not being monitored currently, you never know when some satellite might get lucky and see what we are doing" answered the woman.

Rei nodded in acknowledgement and watched the progress of the movement. They were moving quite efficiently despite their speed. She knew General Xavier had very capable men working under him with his operation being under concealment from SEELE after all these years.

Rei looked around visible structures of the base. She again looked a little puzzled. Though the buildings looked quite large, none of them seemed big enough to house an Eva. She turned back to Celeste.

"I do not understand; where are you going to house Unit 01?" she asked.

"What you see is only the surface part of the base. This installation actually goes down about a half a mile below the surface of Greenland" answered Celeste.

"Really?" said Rei, astonished.

"Yeah; this base was originally built by Great Britain and designed to house a great many bombers to possibly launch a first strike against the Soviet Union. There is a runway that comes out of a cliff about a mile from where we are standing. It was decommissioned about a few years after the Soviet Union collapsed and almost completely forgotten after Second Impact. This place is really quite remarkable and puts us in an excellent position to observe our enemies" the soldier explained.

Rei nodded. The ground shook and suddenly she felt a tremble from the earth. Next to Unit 01, the surfaced opened up and a large platform arose from the ground. The Eva was then placed onto the platform and Rei watched as it was lowered into the ground. Celeste motioned for the girl to follow her and they walked up to one of the smaller buildings.

Celeste opened the door and gestured to Rei to head in first. She nodded and stepped inside to find a bare room with a type of control panel on the far wall. As the door shut behind them, Celeste moved past Rei and walked up to the panel. Typing in a personal code, Rei steadied her self as the room began dropping slowly. It was then she realized that the room was not a room but a giant elevator like the one she had seen on the surface.

As the floor continued to lower, Rei started to feel a little queasy. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths.

"You get used to it after a while; I remember my first time and I nearly threw up. This is a lot faster then taking the stairs though" said Celeste with a sympathetic smile.

After a few minutes later, the ride was over and Rei found herself in another large room. Celeste headed forward first and Rei followed as they moved to another door. Typing in a code on the panel next to the access, the door suddenly opened letting Rei and Celeste inside.

They walked down a long hallway and Rei was in a sense of familiarity about the place. It brought her back to the halls of NERV and it caused her to be slightly unsettled. Celeste caught the look and smiled to reassure her that she was amongst friends.

As neared the end of the hallway, the doors opened up and let them into what Rei assumed was the Command Center. Not as large as NERV's, it was still impressive with various terminals and people in uniforms operating them. At the center of the room, sat a large holographic display table that looked fairly new to the room. There were three men hovering around it, one whom Rei recognized as General Xavier.

"How many troops did he station at the facility?" asked the General as Rei and Celeste approached.

"The entire 5th Army" answered one of the men in uniform at the right of the General. From his insignia, Rei concluded that he was a Colonel.

"That's a lot of military might, but I understand why he is doing it" said Xavier. He turned and greeted Celeste and Rei.

"Rei, may I introduce Colonel Alex Riley and Major Jack Simmons. Gentleman, this is Rei Ayanami" said the General. Both men nodded to her and Rei greeted them back.

"We've had an interesting development happen" said Xavier in a very serious manner.

"What has happen Sir?" asked Celeste.

"The United States has taken personal control of their Branch of NERV. Military troops have moved into Area 51 and gained complete control of the facility" answered Major Simmons.

Both women were surprised. "What about UN and SEELE?" asked Rei.

"The members of SEELE who maintained control over the U.S. Government have been killed. So the President is now free to do what he wants. Which is good for us in the long run" Colonel Riley answered.

"I can understand why; what with a major Branch of NERV under U.S. control, its gives us the resources to combat our enemies" said Celeste.

"I don't understand" said Rei, puzzled.

"The Commander of the Army who controls the Branch is a good friend of mine and an honest man; so at least we know that the resources of the facility will not be put to SEELE's use" answered the General.

"That helps; However Unit's 00, 02, 03, and 04 still remains under NERV's control. Also I have no doubt that some of the Eva Series are also still around and under Keel's power" said Major Simmons.

"Do we know where he is located?" asked Celeste.

"Our reports say that he is hiding out in the Russian Branch. Keel still has a large amount of control over the country" answered Colonel Riley.

"Must be all the money he's given them over the years" said the General.

"It appears to be the case; the Russian Branch seems to be quite heavily protected with all nine of the Eva series" informed Riley.

"Not to mention the fifth child as well; he seems to have complete control over the nine Evas" remarked Simmons.

"True, but the McGregor's seem to have control over the Angels; sooner or later, they will use them against Keel" said Xavier.

"Only one at a time though; we still are unable to discover why that is" informed Riley.

"Could it be related to Shinji's condition?" asked Rei, speaking for the first time since she greeted the General's staff.

"We have a theory that may be the case; General Xavier has fully briefed us about his condition and we are ready to do what we can for the boy" stated Simmons with a smile.

"I appreciate what you are doing but what more can you discover that NERV has not already found out?" asked Rei, trying to be diplomatic.

"You'd be surprised at the resources that we have Ms. Ayanami; our operation is not as small as you think and we have more Intel than NERV" said Simmons dryly.

"I am sure that Ms. Ayanami wasn't trying to offend, Major" said the General before Rei had a chance to respond.

"Yes Sir" said the Major, trying to keep his expression neutral.

"Celeste, could you take Rei to her quarters; I believe a nights rest is in order before we proceed with the operation tomorrow" said Xavier to the woman.

"What operation?" asked Rei with a confused look on her face.

"To explore the world where Ikari is trapped in" answered Simmons.

"We are hoping that the operation will not only provide clues to what is happening to the boy but to discover how the McGregor's are controlling the Angels" stated Reilly.

"I see; when will the operation begin?" asked the Eva pilot, trying to keep the glee out of her voice. While she did not understand how Shinji's condition is related to the current situation, the fact that they were helping her was enough.

"At 0900; if that is satisfactory?" asked the Colonel.

"It is" replied Rei with a nod. Both she and Celeste then left the room. Xavier then turned to his subordinates.

"I want her and the boy protected at all times; it is only a matter of time before word of them being here reaches our enemies. I want them moved to the secondary base just in case" ordered the General with a serious tone.

"Do you think this base has been compromised?" asked Major Simmons in surprise.

"I don't know; just make sure we're ready to evacuate if worse comes to worse. Also step up the patrols and radar, I don't want to be caught by surprise" said Xavier.

"Understood; what about Unit 01?" asked Major Simmons.

"Make sure its ready to launch in a moment's notice. Rei has already agreed to pilot for us and now that we have control of the US Branch of NERV, we can get a hold of materials that would have been denied to us" informed the General.

"From what we know General, Ms Ayanami is only an adequate pilot; can she handle an Angel or other Evangelions by herself?" asked Reilly skeptically.

"You ever been in love Colonel?" asked Xavier with a grin.

"No" answered the Colonel, happy with his single status.

The General just offered the man a sad smile and walked away, his head shaking.

Author's Note: Been a long time huh? I apologize but an extended Writers Block made it difficult to update as well as my recent foray into Gundam Seed and Naruto ficdom.

I am finally ready to get back into my Eva fics and promise updates to all major ones this year. Feel free to harass me about them if the updates take too long.

Next 2 chapters will be out by the middle of February and they will take place within Shinji's dream world. Some questions will be answered.

PleaseR&R!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of it

Rei and Shinji held hands as they stood just a few feet away from the only intact exit out of NERV.

There plan was to explore the outside of the NERV before heading to Misato's apartment to see if there were any clues there. After that, it was back to NERV for a break before trying to see if they could activate the terminals.

General Xavier and his staff had theorized that perhaps power could be restored to some of the systems of the Command Center. Rei had agreed and given her knowledge of the internal workings of NERV, she knew what to do. She knew of emergency batteries that could be linked up to a single system and where they were located. She had hoped that they were still there.

The two decided to head to Misato's apartment first, to see if they could find any information there. The plan was to work their way in because Shinji wanted to see the outside world than to do all their digging within the confines of NERV. Shinji had suggested that a visit to Rei's apartment might be a good idea. 

However, Rei voiced her opposition and said that nothing of significance would be found there. Her apartment held too many bad memories that she did not want brought up. Also, there was the fact that her former residence had been under constant surveillance by Commander Ikari; so the possibility of any useful info there would be minute. 

"Are you ready?" Rei asked Shinji, turning her head to him and giving the teenager a small smile.

"As ready as I can be," he answered, giving the girl a smile of his own.

Walking through the bombed out doorway, the pair strolled down the long partially lit tunnel. Moving around the various overturned military vehicles, Rei and Shinji could see the light at the end of the tunnel. After a few minutes they exited the passageway and gazed up at the red sky.

Rei found the sky's color unsettling; it reminded her too much of blood. There was no sound; as if there were no life anywhere. The air was still and **a thick,fetid stenchpermeated the air**

Shinji and Rei began their journey to the edge of the city where Misato's apartment was. They came across more wrecked military vehicles, flung about all over the road and smashed up. The armor looked charred and dented. Most of the road was also in bad condition with it being cracked badly and large chunks sticking up.

It looked like a war zone and the two teens curious to know what had happened.

"Do you think the Angels did this?" asked Shinji, looking at the burned out hulk of a tank.

"I don't believe so; there would be no point to using armored vehicles since they would be useless against an AT Field," Rei answered, shaking her head.

"What do you think could do this?" Shinji then asked.

Rei thought for a minute before answering. Only one thing came to her mind and the teen was reluctant to share it with her love. However, they had long ago agreed that there would be no secrets between the two so taking a deep breath, she answered Shinji.

"An Eva is my guess," stated the blue-haired girl. Shinji looked at her in surprise.

"But why would an Eva attack the military?" the teen asked.

"Perhaps something to do with SEELE," suggested Rei, not sure for the reason herself.

"I thought SEELE and my father were working together; it would not make sense for them to attack each other," stated Shinji in disbelief.

"I believe what we are seeing is what happened after the Angels had been defeated. It appears that SEELE made their move through military strength as well as the mass produced models. It does appear that NERV fought back with the Evas against the invasion," said Rei.

"Which Eva do you think did all this? I don't think I could have did all of this," stated Shinji, shaking his head at the destruction.

Both teens, after a long conversation, believed that Shinji was somehow in a world where he had never fallen into a coma and that events had continued to run normally. Rei had presented this idea to the General and his staff, only to be met with skepticism. However, they had yet to come up with a theory of their own so they had no choice to accept Rei's.

Currently, her body in the physical world was being monitored by Celeste and Major Simmons. General Xavier was at a briefing in Washington D.C. with the Joint Chiefs and was accompanied by Colonel Riley as his escort. The base was on high alert due to a recent Angel attack on Warsaw.

The Angel had been fought off due to the efforts of the Russian Army and the support of three of the Eva series. The battle had claimed thousands and left most of the city in ruins. Europe was in a state of chaos and troops were called in to hold down the rioting people who were in fear and demanding more action be done against the threat.

"The widespread destruction is something that I believe that the Second Child would be responsible for. She is the most aggressive out of all three of us," Rei stated, causing Shinji to frown.

"It's not her fault that she is the way she is," Shinji said with a sigh. Rei had informed him of Asuka's background a few days ago, giving the teen a new perspective on his fiery fellow pilot. 

"I understand that; we are all victims of your father's and SEELE's manipulations," said the young girl with a momentary glare. Rei Ayanami had come to despise Commander Ikari with all her soul and she vowed to help bring the man down. 

Shinji said nothing to that and the pair continued on their way to Misato's apartment. The boy had his own views on his father that he was not yet ready to reveal to his love. He did not hate his father but Shinji knew that he could never forgive the man for what he had done.

The sky had begun to lighten as they made their way towards the edge of the city. Rei noted that the sky seemed at its most intensity at the sea of blood that the two had come across in their early expeditions. 

The sea was where the two had also spotted the crucified Evas. There was also an unidentifiable mass of what appeared to be white at the center of the red sea. It was slowly dissolving into the water and pieces were washing onto the shore. It had looked like human flesh to Shinji.

The two, after an hour, had finally reached Misato's apartment complex. The building, though still standing, was in pretty bad shape. The pair could not see a single window that was not broken and there were cracks all over the building. 

"Do you think it is safe?" Neither were sure if it was a good idea to enter the building.

"The foundation looks shaky but I believe that it is safe; some our answers may rest in there," Rei stated in her attempt to persuade Shinji. The teen nodded and the two made their way up the steps.

After a minute, the two teens arrived at the apartment. The door was wide open and both Rei and Shinji looked at each other. Taking a deep breath, Shinji entered the apartment first, followed by his companion.

As he was expecting, the place was a wreck. However, it did appear that someone had tried to clean up. There was a trashcan full of glass and piles of rubble were neatly out of the way. Shinji moved his way from the front room and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was not much better shape than the front room. There were broken plates in piles near the sink as well as a pile of broken glass in the corner. Some the hinges on the cabinet doors had fallen off, leaving the doors hanging or fallen to the ground. There appeared to be remnants of food on the table which indicated that someone had eaten here at one time. 

Looking around, Shinji saw nothing more of interest and decided to head for his former room. As he walked down the hallway, he passed Asuka's room, which was wide open. Peeking in, what he saw surprised him greatly.

In the brief time Shinji had known the fiery red-head, the boy knew that Asuka loved her collection of clothing. Every time she went out shopping, the Second Child would bring home bags of dresses and other articles of clothing that would fill her closet and dressers. Asuka would rarely wear the clothing she bought but it was important for her to have it.

Seeing the shredded garments all over the floor disturbed him greatly. The dresses were torn into bits and looked to be done by human hands. The shoes were smashed up and the heels broken off. There also torn bras all over the place as well as panties that could no longer be used.

He did not want to believe that she would do the act but he could not think of anyone else that would do it. Asuka would never let anyone enter her room without permission and also knew that she would never give it.

The rest of her room wasn't in too good of shape. The vanity's mirror was broken and its pieces were all over the ground. The dresser had fallen over, which caused the drawers and its contents to be emptied all over the ground. The bed had dirt and plaster all over it, caused the cracks in the ceiling. 

Something caught Shinji's eye and he walked into the room. 

On the floor and next to the bed were Asuka's neural clips. He picked them up and looked them over. They were very beat up and scratched. Shinji wondered if the damage was the result of whatever happened to the apartment or Asuka herself. He placed them in his pocket and left the room for his.

When he arrived, Shinji was surprised to find that Rei was already there. She was sitting on the bed, silently reading a note pad. 

His room was about the same shape as Asukas. His treasured Cello was broken in two by a book shelf that had fallen on it. He could see pieces of SDAT player underneath a piece of the ceiling that had broken off. The closet mirror was badly cracked though none of the pieces had fallen onto the ground. 

Before he could say anything, Rei started reading out loud.

"December 18th 2015

It has been three months since Third Impact and things are only getting worse for me and Asuka. I had hoped that she would open up to me but she is secluding herself away from me more and more everyday.

When she thinks I am not around, she keeps muttering "just like momma" over and over again. I am getting scared; I try to reason with her, suggesting that we leave the city in search for people who have returned. However, she only screams at me in German and then runs to her room.

I am going out of my mind on what to do about the future. The food is getting low and soon we will have to find new sources. I try to think about how to survive but it's hard to everything by myself.

I just don't know what to do; all I want to do is be with her,"

Rei stopped reading after that. She had a frown on her face, which Shinji noticed right away. He suspected the reason for her look and joined her on the bed. She looked at him with tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Why do you end up with her?" Rei asked with a cracked voice. 

"I don't know; I cannot imagine why I would ever end up with Asuka in this world. What I do know is that I am with you here and that will not change," Shinji stated firmly in an attempt to reassure her. Rei looked unconvinced so Shinji tried spin it another way.

"It says that both he and Asuka were the last people on Earth. He was probably thinking of the species," he said, giving a goofy smile. Shinji tried his best to distance himself from the other Shinji. Rei still looked unconvinced and the teen knew that they were going to probably discuss it again later.

"Anything else there?" Shinji asked, trying to get things back on track.

"Nothing much; most of it are random babbles relating to Touji getting hurt and something about a mind attack on Sohyru. There is also a name that keeps popping up; a Kaworu Nagisa" said Rei, looking up at Shinji in puzzlement.

"Who is Kaworu Nagisa?" asked Shinji, equally confused.

"That would be me," said a voice, causing both a startled Shinji and Rei to look up suddenly.

At the doorway stood a teenage male about the same age as the two of them. He was tall and wearing black pants and a white over shirt. The youth also had silver hair and red eyes which matched the color of Rei's eyes.

"How are you here?" asked Shinji, more than surprised to see the boy. He stood up along with Rei who was worried. She had a sense of familiarity emanating from the teen.

"I have always been here," answered Kaworu cryptically. He just smiled at the two teens.

"Huh?"

"I've been watching the two of you for some time," informed the silver-haired teen. The way he was looking at Shinji and Rei was unnerving to the two.

"What do you mean? How can you be here?" Rei asked.

"We are the same; both of us," stated Kaworu.

"What do you mean?" asked the blue-haired teen.

"I am an Angel; just like you Ms. Ayanami. I was created by SEELE for their Dummy Plug System which operates the Eva series. I am also the 17th Angel known as Tabris," informed the teen.

"I understand that you are similar to me; however I am not a full Angel but a hybrid," stated Rei adamantly.

"If you are an Angel, why are you not being controlled by the McGregors?" Rei's boyfriend asked.

"I am the Angel of Free Will; no man can control me," answered Kaworu.

"Then why are you working with SEELE?" Rei asked, confused.

"Because they are useful to me for the time being," said the Angel.

Neither of the two teens understood what Kaworu meant. They were still unsure to whether he was a threat to them or not. His smile however seemed genuinely friendly so they relaxed their guard slightly.

"Do you know what happened to this world? We know that Third Impact happened but very little more than that," said Shinji.

"I myself know very little as well; all I have picked up was random data from the MAGI that was still intact. I am afraid that time has not been kind to the computer systems in this world," said Kaworu sadly.

"How did you power the systems?" Shinji asked.

"With my AT Field; didn't you do the same?" asked Kaworu, a little puzzled.

"No; I did not know I could do tha,t" admitted Rei, shaking her head. She knew that she could use her AT Field for a number of uses but did not know all of them.

"If you wish, I could teach you," said Kaworu as he smiled at her. This irked Shinji slightly and for the first time ever, he felt jealously towards the other Angel. Kaworu noticed this and offered the same smile to him as well.

"Do not be concerned; I would never take away something that is precious to you. I hope that we could all be friend,s" said the silver-haired lad. Kaworu seemed genuine and Shinji calmed down. Rei decided to change the subject.

"What did you find out?" she asked.

"Like I said, very little; the Third Impact that happened here seemed to be result of the culmination of the Red and Black Earth Ceremonies" informed the Angel.

"Rei explained to me what Black Earth entailed, but what is Red Earth?" asked Shinji, momentarily frowning. When Rei had told him of the ritual, his anger towards his father grew. He hated how the man was going to use Rei like that.

"From what little I was able to gather from Keel; Red Earth entails the use of Unit 01 as a medium with the help of the Eva Series to enact Third Impact," Kaworu explained.

"Then how can Black Earth be involved if the two are different?" Rei asked, even more confused than before.

"That, I am afraid, I cannot answer; I also have gathered some data pertaining to a series of events during the destruction of the Angels in this world. It seems that Touji Suzuhara was the Fourth Child and was killed when Eva Unit 03 was taken over by an Angel. It appears that Unit 01 was responsible," informed Kaworu.

"I would never do that" Shinji practically yelled, clearly angry.

"It seems you did refuse to engage the Angel since the data stated that the Dummy Plug had to be activated by your father," stated Kaworu. Shinji began clenching his hand in fury.

"What else did you find?" Rei asked, concerned for her boyfriend.

"Ryoji Kaji was a double agent and was killed. I also found out that the Second Child was the victim of my sister Arae,l" 

"I knew Kaji was a spy but what happened to Asuka?" Shinji asked, remembering the journal.

"My sister Arael has the ability to delve into your mind; she apparently made the Second Child relives some very traumatic memories that crushed her," 

"Now it makes sense," Shinji almost said to himself.

"I agree," said Rei, looking at her boyfriend.

"That is about it; anything else is random drabble on Angel defeats," Kaworu said.

"This explains what happened in this world but I was hoping that we would find out why I am stuck here," said Shinji with a sigh.

"That is a question I would like to have answered as well. May I suggest a partnership that would serve all our needs," offered the Angel.

"Why do you want to help us?" Shinji asked suspiciously.

"I have my reasons; do not worry, I will not betray you," Kaworu's voice and smile were sincere enough for the two teens to believe him. They shook their heads and the Angel smile grew.

"I must take my leave of you, until them my friends," and with that said, Kaworu vanished. 

Shinji turned to Rei and asked "Do you think we can really trust him? He is an Angel,"

"He seems legit but we should ask the General and see what he thinks," Rei answered.

The two stood up and began to leave the room. Shinji took one last glance and then followed Rei to Misato's room to see of anything was there. 

Unfortunately for them, as soon as they got the door open they saw that the room was caved in. The ceiling had apparently collapsed during Third Impact and the rubble prevented the duo from being able to get in. 

The two left the apartment in silence but interlocked with their arms. Rei's head rested on Shinji's shoulder and the boy tilted his head to touch hers on his side. They stayed like that until they arrived back at NERV and at Shinji's room.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

"You spend a lot of time resting; is there something that need to know?" asked Keel as he observed Kaworu rising fro his bed and dressing.

The old man stood at the doorway of the pilot's room. Kaworu was annoyed that he was being bothered but knew from experience that Keel only came to him if something needed to be done.

"I find solace in my rest; that is all," said the Angel as he slipped his shirt on.

"Hmm….well I have a mission for you. Get to your Eva," said the man before turning to leave. Kaworu watched him leave and smirked. The Chairman seemed to be in a bad mood; not that he's been in a good one since be forced to flee to Russia.

It was going to be an interesting day

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay but my pre-reader was busy with school and I got sick I know this is a long chapter but it is the combination of two chapters that were too short.

Next chapter deals with the aftermath of the General's visit to Washington D.C. as well as the introduction of a new OC. Also, expect Rei to roll out in Unit 01 and enter into combat for the first time in a while against Zuriel. I am not sure when the next update will be but it will get released before any of my other material.

Please R&R and a Huge thanks to Sideris for pre-reading!


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

Disclaimer: Still don't own it or any other elements used from other material.

General Xavier glared for the seventh time at the man seated next to him.

The trip from Washington had been a long one and the General's companion had not made it any shorter. Currently, the duo was seated in the passenger section on a converted military cargo plane which had left the U.S. capital about seven hours ago. Escorting them was a pair of F-24 Phoenixes that flew side by side with the cargo plane.

Following them was a small fleet of transport ships that carried military equipment for the base.

As the military cargo plane began making it's preparations to land, a section of the cliff opened up and a landing strip appeared inside the crevice. The plane shook all over due to the turbulence. Though Xavier had long gotten used to such turbulence from other flights he had flown in, his companion was new at it and clutched the arms of his chair until his knuckles went white.

"Can't the pilot do something about this shaking?" asked Harold Melbourne as he gritted his teeth and had his eyes closed. Dressed in a dark suit, he had raven black hair and brown eyes. He was young for his position as Director of Homeland Security and was only in his early thirties.

"No, not a thing," Xavier answered, smirking at the younger man's discomfort.

Though the meeting with the President had gone well and he got what he wanted, there was unexpected baggage that he had to deal with; specifically the head of Homeland Security. The General had to work with him in the coming war, something that did not sit well with him given the Director's former allegiance.

The cargo plane slowed its speed considerably as it entered the side hanger. The wheels touched down, jerking the aircraft and those within it. After a minute, it finally stops just a few hundred feet away from the end of the runway.

"Finally," said Melbourne as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. Taking a minute to stretch, he raised his arms in the air.

Xavier took the opportunity to escape and quickly made his way to the exit hatch which was already opened. As he exited the aircraft, he found the members of his command waiting for him at the bottom of the steps.

"Welcome back sir," Colonel Riley greeted as he saluted; Celeste and Major Simmons also saluted the General as well.

"Thank you; I am calling for a staff meeting ASAP. Make sure Ms. Ayanami is informed; I want her there as well," ordered Xavier.

Two hours later, after refreshing himself from the trip, Xavier sat down at the head of the table in the base's conference room. His senior officers were present along with Rei and Melbourne.

The room was located next to the CIC and was only big enough for a small group. The walls were made of metal as was the floor. There were lights built into the ceiling that were never upgraded from the Cold War and they were partially lit. The only thing that was actually new was the large monitor on the far wall to the right of the table.

"I want to introduce Harold Melbourne, the new head of Homeland Security. We will be involved in joint operations with his agency from now on as ordered by the President," the General stated as neutrally as possible. The assembled officers looked at one another in dismay.

"I wish to assure you that I am no longer with SEELE since the death of the leaders in North America. I am also partially the reason why the organization's hold on our Government no longer exists. The President, in his wisdom, appointed me out of need for my services," Melbourne informed with a smirk. The grin seemed to piss off everyone in the room with the exception of Rei who remained unmoved.

None of the General's staff knew what to make of the information. They knew that Harold Melbourne had been highly placed in the leadership of SEELE in North America, high enough to have had a place on the Council if there was a seat vacant. There was much curiosity to why Melbourne would have given all that up.

"The President has placed this command as the head of operations in taking down SEELE and the McGregors. We will have access to all available resources that the US can muster. Within a few hours, we will be receiving some of those resources," said the General.

"What will we be getting?" asked Simmons, giddy.

"Some new weapons for Unit 01 as well as two Tridents and their hardware," answered Xavier.

"Tridents? As in the Jet Alone units?" Riley inquired, confused.

"Yes; after being humiliated by NERV, the company was bought out by the Azreal Conglomerate. They continued the research and development of the models in the United States," Melbourne informed the group.

There were nods from around the room. It was well known that the current President's family owned and operated the company which one of the most powerful corporations in the United States. Since most of the family had members within the US Government, it made the Tridents part of the US Military.

"Are the Tridents remote operated or do they need pilots?" asked Celeste.

"They need pilots; we have managed to acquire the services of a few reserve pilots from NERV," Harold answered.

"Children then; why am I not surprised?" wondered the woman, disgusted.

"There was no other choice; we needed the pilots immediately. The children managed to adjust to the combat systems of the Tridents within a few weeks and are ready to go," said Xavier who was also disgusted as well. He hated having children fighting on the battlefield.

"If I seem to recall, the Tridents are supposed to be nuclear powered; won't this be a risk to our own forces if something goes wrong?" Colonel Riley asked. He was still nervous about the newly installed nuclear reactor underneath the base.

"The engineers were never able to solve the problems with the nuclear reactor so they opted for a compact battery instead. Under full power, a Trident can operate for about two hours on its own before it needs to be recharged. On low, it can push an extra three hours. While it's much faster to recharge at the base, there are a number of solar panels equipped so that the Trident can be revitalized on its own in case of emergencies. However, this process does take a while," Melbourne informed.

"Why are we only getting two?" Celeste asked.

"Building a Trident takes a good amount of time and money; we can only spare a couple while the rest must go to our national defense. The President has assured me that we will have more when the assembly plants complete more units," answered Xavier.

There was a call from the phone on the table and Simmons picked it up. After a minute of listening to the voice on the other end, he hung up and looked to the General.

"Sir, the ship you told us to expect has entered the harbor. The cargo is being off loaded now," informed the Major.

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As the cargo ship was depositing its precious shipment, its actions were being observed by a submarine that lay hidden a few miles away.

Captain Malt Stone watched as the crew of the cargo ship went about their work at a leisurely pace. He smiled at the notion that his vessel had yet to be detected. He was also happy that intelligence had been right after all and not had sent him on a wild goose chase.

"Send a message to Lord McGregor; tell him that the target has been sighted," the Captain ordered. His comm. officer nodded and relayed the message through the radio.

In Ireland, Zeruel was woken and rose from the ocean where he slept. The Angel of Might made full speed towards his target in the North. A spy Satellite belonging to the United States Military picked the Angel and relayed in to the Greenland Base; which then went on full alert.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

As Unit 01 was elevated to the surface, Rei not only felt nervous but a sense of fear as well. This would be her first battle in a long time and in a different Eva as well.

Rei knew that she was only an adequate pilot at best. She was no where near the level of performance of Shinji and the Second Child. Her kill ratio was only an assist which Shinji had completed the actual kill.

Now, she was about to face an Angel; one of the most powerful if what Melbourne said was true. The Director had been privy to some of the knowledge of the Dead Sea Scrolls during his time with SEELE and was able to only identify the Angel and its designation.

"According to the data, your sync ratio is reading at 69.56; I am guessing that is a good thing from what little we know of NERV's operations. How do you feel?" Celeste asked from her station in the CIC.

"Scared," Rei answered truthfully; she felt uncomfortable lying to her new friends.

"That's very understandable; but you must be brave or you will be killed," stated General Xavier firmly, but respectable at the same time.

Rei nodded and gripped the weapon that her Eva had been given. It was from the cargo ship and the only thing available on short notice.

The weapon itself was a type of pistol, but much larger and bulky than any normal handgun that NERV ever gave her. The trigger handle was behind the ammo clip that curved away from her hand outward and the barrel was short. The weapon actually felt a little heavy and slightly strained the Eva's arm.

"The weapon you carry is call a Bolt Pistol; a variant of the Boltgun which you will use if we all survive this. It fires an explosive rocket propelled round that detonates milliseconds after contact. It houses twelve rounds so you must be careful because you will be unable to receive more rounds if you run out," Director Melbourne informed from his position at the General's side. Rei could tell that the Director was nervous, if not flat out scared from the sound of his voice.

"Guns have been useless against the Angels before; what makes these Boltguns so different?" the Eva pilot asked in a calm voice.

"The rounds used by the Bolt Pistol are laced with the same metal that the Lance of Longinus is made out of. They yield a weak Anti-AT field which would easily penetrate any barrier enacted by the Angel," answered the Director.

Rei felt a little more assured with that information. She was curious to how the material from the Lance of Longinus was replicated but decided to leave that question until after her fight was won.

Inside the CIC, Simmons turned to Director Melbourne and asked "Aren't these weapons….," before he was cut off.

"Yes; the engineers behind the development are geeks and nerds; they named just about everything they have developed after some sort of television or game series," answered the man, rolling his eyes.

Finally reaching the surface, Unit 01 took its first steps onto the icy surface and almost slipped. The ground was more covered with ice than snow which made it slightly hard to walk without tumbling down. Rei wished Unit 01 could be equipped with snow shoes.

Rei looked about, examining her surroundings. There were few surface buildings, mainly due to the fact that the base was more underground. There were also a few medium sized hills about which would make good cover. Walking up to the closest one, Unit 01 kneeled behind it so that she could try and ambush the enemy.

After five minutes, Zeruel appeared off into the distance. It lumbered slowly, floating above the surface. Rei focused in on the Angel to get a better look at it to see what could be used against her. The arms looked to be silky whip like appendages, which was the only immediate threat she could see.

However, Rei knew from experience that appearances alone were nothing in regards to the Angels. The fifth Angel taught her that.

As Zeruel got closer, the bases defenses went online; Missile and gun batteries rose up from there hidden locations under the ice throughout the area, targeting the enormous foe. Once the Angel was in range, the emplacements let loose with a heavy barrage.

"Why are we bothering with out own firepower when it is obvious that it will have no effect on the Angel?" Melbourne asked in confusion, turning to the General.

"We are trying to gauge its strength and capabilities; if we can trick the beast into showing everything it can do, then it would a tremendous help to Ms. Ayanami," answered Xavier as he looked up at the main monitor that show what was going on above ground.

Zeruel stopped just a few hundred meters from the weapon batteries. It hovered there for a minute, letting the barrage impact its AT-Field.

Suddenly, there was a flash from its eyes and several of the gun emplacements exploded. Fire rose from the wreckage and burned on the surface. Zeruel repeated its attack until every gun emplacement was on fire and completely useless.

Rei, realizing that it was now or never, rose slightly from her position behind the hill and took aim at the Angel. Pulling the trigger, her arm recoiled and the round slammed though the AT-Field. But it missed Zeruel just over the right shoulder.

The Eva pilot cursed out loud and readied to fire again when one of the Angel's arms surged forward and slammed through the barrier, shattering it into pieces and knocking Unit 01 to the side. The bolt pistol went flying and skidded away from the Eva.

Unit 01 rolled sideways, dodging another strike by the Angel's arms. It climbed up and quickly ran forward as Zeruel's eyes flashed. The ground where Unit 01 had previously occupied exploded.

Rei headed towards her fallen weapon and lunged for it, just barely missing the handle as she was hit by the Angel's razor sharp arms. The whippy appendage pierced her left shoulder, causing the teen to cry out in pain. She gritted her teeth and tried to use her other arm to grab the bolt pistol but was prevented when her hand was sliced off by Zeruel. Liquid spurted from the wound and the hand went flying.

The Eva pilot screamed as she clutched her hand in pain. Rei tried to tell herself that it was the Eva and not her real hand as countless times she was told the same thing during simulations. However, it felt too real to the teen.

Unit 01 was slammed again in the chest, which brought Rei back into focus. She tried to move but the Angel's appendage was still lodged in her shoulder which prevented the action. Zeruel's other arm kept hitting the chest, trying to get at the core. The Angel's face seemed to leer down at Unit 01 as it continued to pound at her.

Just as the Angel was about to make another strike, a blast breached its AT-Field and Zeruel was flown back as it was hit in the chest. The Angel's grip on Unit 01 was softened and the Eva painfully removed itself from its hold. More liquid spurted out from the shoulder wound, but Rei ignored it as she concentrated all her effort into using her remaining hand to reach over and grab the bolter.

Gripping the handle, Rei brought the pistol up just as Zeruel regained its composure. The Angel loomed over Unit 01 to renew its attack but the Eva aimed the pistol point blank just meters away from the beast and pulled the trigger.

Round after round exploded into the chest of Zeruel, pushing it backwards. Flesh and blood erupted from the Angel as Rei continued to pound at its chest until the core was exposed. Using her last three shots, Unit 01 aimed for the core and the shots struck S2 organ which blew it to pieces after impact.

The Anti-AT Field managed to suppress the S2 from exploding and Zeruel went down onto its back. The Angel was dead before it hit the ground and its eyes went dark. Blood poured out from the holes in its chest and leaked all over the ground under it.

Rei breathed heavily as she laid back and let her arms hang loose. She could hear the various shouts from the CIC in her communication's monitor but paid no attention to them as she began to lose consciousness. With one last turn of her head, Rei closed her eyes.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Mana Hiroshima breathed heavily herself as the arm of her Trident lowered to its side. Smoke still rose from the barrel of the Mega Vulcan Bolter that was attached to the top of the right arm.

She was happy that the single shot had managed to hit its target. The Trident was a great deal distance away and had only a single round. Mana was glad that whoever had screwed up and left the round in. Otherwise, it was more than likely that the Eva pilot would have been killed.

Opening the hatch to the cockpit, Mana climbed out and shivered once again at the cold air. She was still dressed in her civilian fatigues which consisted of a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Looking downwards onto the ground, she was greeted by a pair of thumbs up from her brother.

Mana waved back and watched as a group of vehicles emerged from the ground and made their way to the fallen Eva. There was an ambulance among them and the Trident pilot hoped that whoever piloted the Eva was all right.

She headed to put some warmer clothing.

Author's Note: Well I hope you liked the chapter; it took longer than I thought since I had some personal issues to deal with which prevented this chapter from being released earlier. Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors but my pre-reader is incognito at the moment.

I apologize if the battle with Zeruel was short and one-sided. This was my first time writing an Eva battle and wanted to show a more IC Rei in regards to her experience with Eva combat. Rei, unfortunately, is the weakest of the three children and would not fare well against the Angel of Might on her own. Well, at least in my opinion. I am sorry if any of you readers disagree.

The Bolter weapons are from Warhammer 40k; when I was trying to come up with for armaments for Unit 01 and the Tridents, I was inspired from my games with the Dawn of War series. I happen to like the variants of the Bolter and decided to use them in LWD.

There will be NO love triangles between Rei, Shinji, and Mana; a little hard with Shinji being in a coma. Mana will be an important friend though to Rei, in fact becoming her best friend.

I have no clue when the next update will be released other than to say it will be out hopefully by the end of May. The chapter will deal with some more combat as well as interaction between Mana and Rei.

R&R!


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